Breaking Point
by Bost
Summary: An ever-watchful enemy has been lurking in the darkness for years. Now, it has set its sights on the Hero of Time and all that he holds dear. With Malon in unimaginable peril, how far will Link go to save his best friend and the love of his life? (Sequel to Second Wind.)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone. This is the third and final installment in my series of fan fiction. My other two stories (** _ **Outcast**_ **and** _ **Second Wind)**_ **take place before this and introduce characters, events and places that appear or are mentioned here. It is not 100% necessary to read them in order to understand what is going on here, but you may wish to do so before continuing on. In any case, thanks for reading, and have a great day!**

* * *

A couple sat at a small table, their idle chat interrupting the otherwise mundane afternoon. Their laughter was infectious to anyone who happened to pass by the small cafe in the middle of Castle Town. It had become a favorite spot of theirs lately, both because of the quality of the food, and for the owner's insistent generosity towards Hyrule's finest general.

A blonde-haired man approaching his thirties sat with his back to a wall, periodically eyeing spots in the distance for anything unusual. Even as he spoke, he'd take constant note of the area around him. First, he'd scan the shadows between the buildings, followed by observing the small passing crowds and the rooftops across the city.

He stuck to the process until it became almost involuntary. Like most days, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The oddest thing he spotted was nothing more than a quarrel between two familiar individuals.

 _"What are they arguing about this time?"_ he wondered. _"Do they ever get along?"_

Link returned his attention to the table in front of him. Despite the mundanity of his surroundings, something still stuck in his mind.

His redheaded companion was far more relaxed, on the other hand. Ever-optimistic and upbeat, she would continually remind him that there was nothing to worry about... sometimes after sneaking food from his plate while his attention was divided.

"Something just feels wrong, Malon," he stated, looking down to his slightly emptier plate.

"Link, there are guards all over the place," she reminded him, gesturing towards a pair of them in the distance. "Even if something were to happen, we'd be well-defended." She couldn't guess what specific thing occupied his thoughts, so it was about all she could offer for reassurance.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied. "Maybe I'm just tired. No more late night parties at the castle for me!"

She giggled and ruffled his hair a bit, hoping to get a reaction out of him. He laughed slightly as he adjusted his hair and messed with her own hair in return. A few townspeople waved as they passed by the couple, Link and Malon offering them a greeting of their own. It was predictable for them to be here. Perhaps too predictable.

Not far away, a duo of men stood by a small shop. They stood in unassuming, bulky brown clothing, shifting about slightly. They looked to each other with neutral expressions, and then back to their quarry. Any movement they made was carefully timed- nothing to invite wayward, suspicious looks.

"Third table from the right. That's them, isn't it?" one of them asked, averting his glance elsewhere. His face was young, but it had been scarred by battle all the same. "They fit the description."

"Correct," the other replied, pretending to read a book in between moments of looking at the two Hylians.

They made no effort to hide in the shadows that had been cast between the shops. It would be a foolish mistake to do so on a day that was neither hot nor particularly bright. Nothing that the Hylians did caused them to change their expressions, even if Link's gaze crossed them momentarily. It didn't bother them- they had chosen to hide in plain sight. Even if he approached them directly, they were incapable of flinching or panicking.

"Should we just do it now?" the eager, younger man asked quietly, inching his hand towards a hidden knife in his coat. "I don't think he will care one way or the other."

"No," the other said calmly. "Not yet. Just observe."

He was momentarily disappointed by this but was not about to disobey an order. He crossed his arms in slight frustration and spat on the ground. "Hmm. And what about the lady?"

The other man eyed her carefully with a flash of anger in his eyes. "No. She is... important."


	2. Chapter 1

A brisk morning in Hyrule offered a pleasant sunrise for the denizens of the castle. A gentle, cool wind blew through the open windows and down the large halls of the proud fortress. Large shadows of the massive building criss crossed the gardens and other open areas nearby. The workers were already up preparing for a new day, even as many other Hylians were still sound asleep.

A harsh sound of crashing steel reverberated through one of the large courtyards. Two adversaries faced off, circling one another in the grassy area. In previous days, this place had been an area for dignified guests to socialize and behold the beauty of the well-kept gardens. Queen Zelda had hosted more than a few dinner parties in this very spot. Now, it was the site of an intense sparring match.

There was a sudden flurry of swordplay between the two opponents. They moved with such speed that almost nobody else could keep up with them. It had gone on for only a few minutes, but it had exhausted both of the fighters already. Every strike was immediately met with a retaliation from the other. It was a regular occurrence for them now, with some sessions going on for several hours with only a few short breaks.

"Getting tired, general?" Zelda joked, flourishing her blade in front of her opponent. She had foregone her regal attire as it was far too clumsy to wear for heavy activity. Instead, she sported her familiar Sheikah garb, as it was far more practical for training like this.

"Not even close, Your Majesty," the green-clad warrior replied with a smirk. "Keep your guard up."

He thrust his own sword towards her, being especially careful not to put any real power behind it. It was less of an offensive strike and more of a test to see how she would react.

Zelda deflected it and returned an attack in kind towards his midsection. Though their blades were blunted to the point of being useless in a real fight, Link was never one to be careless, even with a sparring sword.

"Well done," Link stated. "Your attacks are becoming faster, but remember to mind your footwork." Zelda nodded in response.

The duel's audience consisted of two young ladies and the occasional curious passerby. The younger, blonde girl, clad in a light blue dress, wrung her hands together slightly and winced multiple times as the steel weapon came dangerously close to the Queen. Her green eyes followed Zelda with apprehension, and she had to look away several times.

 _"Oh dear... Why am I watching this?"_ she asked herself, placing her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. _"Yesterday I practically fainted. Can't believe she talked me into watching this again."_

While she had nothing but trust and admiration for Link, she instinctively worried about the safety of the queen anyway. On more than one occasion, she would let out a small, scared yelp if Zelda narrowly avoided an attack.

"Be careful, Zelda," Lera stated for what must have been the fourth time all morning. She had no expertise in combat, and the only time that the young Royal Adviser had ever picked up a weapon was to hand it back to Zelda after she had dropped it.

The other young lady watched on with far less worry. She was only slightly more familiar with combat, but she knew that they were hardly in any real danger from a friendly sparring match. She crossed her arms and smiled from ear to ear, proud of the skill of both her husband and her friend.

"Don't worry, Lera. I think Queen Zelda's got the upper hand," Malon said with a small laugh. "I can see you sweating from here, Fairy Boy."

Link looked to her and rolled his eyes, momentarily taking his attention away from the duel. It was just long enough for Zelda to pivot on her foot and deliver a surprisingly swift blow towards Link's side. Barely deflecting it in time, Link fell onto his backside with a thud, ending the match. He sat in the grass for a second, embarrassed that he had let himself become so easily distracted.

"I told ya!" Malon said with another laugh, approaching her husband to help him off of the ground. "You alright, Link?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he responded.

Lera breathed a sigh of relief and wiped a bit of sweat from her brow as both she and Zelda also helped to dust him off.

"You did well, General," Lera stated, trying to make him feel better. Before she even finished the sentence, she remembered that he was not fond of his friends referring to him by that title. "I mean, you did great, Link."

"Thanks, Lera. I think I would've done better if _somebody_ hadn't distracted me," he joked, poking his wife in the side several times. She let out a giggle and tried to bat his hand away.

"Or maybe _you_ need more practice, Link!" Malon joked back. "Queen Zelda, I think you've improved quite a bit," she declared, regaining her composure after Link had stopped messing with her. "I might not know much about fighting, but even I can see your progress."

"She's right," Link added as he straightened out his tunic. "What's the record now? I think you're starting to catch up."

"Well, thank you. I learned from the best," she replied, glancing towards Link. She quickly returned her practice blade to its sheath and took a seat in the shade on a nearby stone bench, wiping her hands with a cloth. "I think another training session is in order this afternoon. Shall we say... around one o'clock?"

Link was mildly surprised to hear such a thing from her. When they had first started their matches, she was quite hesitant to fight at all. For a while, it had been the low point of each day. It was physically exhausting and took too much me from her royal duties, she figured.

As of now, she had developed a clear, healthy enthusiasm for their duels. It kept her mind sharp and her body in much better physical condition. The confidence that came with it was also welcome, and the fact that it allowed her to spend more time with her friend had made it even better.

"I don't know if Link is ready for another one," Malon said with a wink as she and Lera joined Zelda on the bench.

"You know, she's right," Link returned with a grin, stretching a bit. "I'm just a tired old officer now."

"I'll just have to find someone else then," Zelda replied, faking disappointment. "Perhaps you could watch Impa and I instead."

"What do you mean?"

"We have been training in our free time. There's a lot to be learned from the Sheikah. Fascinating techniques. I think you'd be interested."

Link stroked his chin and nodded his head at the idea. He had always been curious as to what exactly the Sheikah were capable of, though he had not yet approached Impa to ask. He had encountered Zelda masquerading as Sheik a handful of times during the conflict with Ganon, but this had not satisfied his curiosity. Indeed, her sudden departures perplexed him and always left him with far too many questions. Sometimes he wondered if she was being mysterious simply to mess with him.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer sometime. But if you'll excuse me for a moment, I have to go clean myself up. Can't stay looking like this all day." He gave a small bow and left for the cavernous halls of the castle, eager to clear the dirt and sweat off of himself.

As Link departed and was out of eyesight, Malon's happy demeanor began to fade. Her head drooped low and she began to stare off at nothing. She held her head in her hand, trying to hide her face a bit. Her blue eyes seemed a bit more empty, as though she wasn't really there at all. Her friends easily noticed.

"Something the matter, Malon?" Lera asked, trying to move her head to see her friend's face. "I don't think he was injured in the fight."

"Oh dear," Zelda said, suddenly aware of the possibility. "I promise I wasn't trying to hurt him or anything. You know I'd never do that." She thought carefully to any attack that she had made that could have possibly wounded him.

"I don't think I saw any serious wounds," Lera added. "Nothing more than a bruise or two."

"No, no," Malon replied quietly, shaking her head a bit. "It's nothin' like that. If he was hurt, we'd all know it."

"Well, we don't want to see you like this. Do you want to talk about it?" Lera asked, placing her hand on Malon's shoulder.

"I'm worried about him... he hasn't really been himself lately. It's been going on for a while now."

Lera and Zelda became uneasy at her choice of words.

"Sometimes Link's able to relax for a little while, but it seems like he's always watching for... something. Always uneasy," Malon said quietly. "He's eating less and less, and his sleeping habits are getting worse too."

She gathered herself, careful not to let any more nervousness slip into her tone. Zelda and Lera exchanged a glance. They both knew how much pressure Link was under, but they were unaware of just how significant it had become.

"A few days ago I woke up to find him still awake. Must've been almost two in the morning. He was just pacing about the house, looking around at nothing. He didn't even notice me until I approached him. His face was so... blank. Not like him at all."

Zelda and Lera were both disquieted by her words. They could think of no healthy reason for him to do that.

Malon continued. "I asked him why he was up, but he gave me a short answer about being uncomfortable. But I know it's more than that. Sometimes I wonder if he sleeps at all anymore. There have been so many mornings where he's just exhausted after being up for hours."

She gave a quiet sigh before she went on. "It wasn't always like this. When we first got married, I had never seen him so happy all the time. But something's changed..."

Zelda's eyes turned downward. Link's sleeplessness reminded her of her own in the past. She was thankful to have gotten past most of it, but she knew firsthand how detrimental it was. It affected everything she did, and only made her normal duties that much more taxing, mentally and physically.

"Has he said anything else about this?" Lera asked.

"Not really. Everything he says is so vague. I just want to help him, but I can't help but wonder if he's keeping something from me."

"I'm so sorry, Malon," Zelda said, patting her on the back. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Malon had no specific request, partially because she didn't know where to begin. "I... I just don't want to see him like this, Queen Zelda. I don't like seeing him become so quiet and sad for no apparent reason. I can't stand him sleeping with a knife under his pillow every night."

"I fear he's allowing his obligations to consume him," Lera stated sadly. "Years of conflict have made it more and more difficult for him to abandon his duties."

"I don't even know what to tell him anymore." Malon began to tremble slightly as she released a slow, unsteady breath. "What else can I say now? 'Stop worrying'? That's not enough. I can barely remember the last time when he was truly relaxed."

Zelda closed her eyes and thought for a moment. _"There is something I can do."_

"Did I miss anything?" a voice called out from the other end of the courtyard.

Link approached with a smile, though Malon could tell that it was a bit of a mask at this point. Looking into his eyes, she could easily recognize a shadow of unease and stress. She regained her composure and returned a cheerful grin to him as best as she could. Zelda and Lera also wiped away their sorrowful looks, for the most part.

"Not a lot," the farm girl replied.

"Are you sure?" he asked, having noticed their sad expressions.

"There was one thing I wanted to say," Zelda spoke up, trying to avoid speaking directly about their conversation. She had to think for a few moments before she went on, wanting to choose her words very carefully. The young queen decided to get straight to the point and stood up with Lera.

"I would like to formally offer you the chance to leave your military duties behind."

Malon's eyes widened, not having expected such an offer. Lera had been anticipating this for some time now and simply stayed quiet. She watched Link carefully, hoping that he would accept the offer.

"Wait, what? Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Malon asked.

"I'm quite sure," she replied calmly. "I think you could use a long vacation, Link. It can be for the rest of your life, if you'd like." A small grin crossed her face, but Link could only offer a look of silent confusion.

"We know how much you've done for this land," Lera added with a nod. "You've done more in a few years than 100 men have done in a lifetime. We think it's time for you to remove that burden from your shoulders."

"I think your wife would enjoy an early retirement as well, Link," Zelda added, giving her a brief, concerned look. Malon smiled very slightly to acknowledge her.

Link stared at the three of them but couldn't come up with any words. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it once more, uncertain of what he even wanted. Part of him wanted to settle down and never look back, but another part of him believed that it would be selfish to even consider the idea.

"Queen Zelda..." he began, his eyes shifting back and forth. "I don't know."

"You wouldn't be leaving the land undefended," Lera added. "We're quite prepared to deal with threats."

Link fixed his gaze on his beautiful wife, and couldn't imagine a happier existence than to live a simple life with her. No conflict, no missions to far off lands. Just the simple joys that other people were used to. Perhaps even someday, they would raise a child of their own, he thought.

 _"Please say yes..."_ she thought. _"You don't have to keep doing this any more."_

The look on her face was unmistakable. Though she hadn't said a single word to influence his choice one way or the other, he knew that she was desperate for him to say yes. When he had returned from his last trip, scarred and weakened, she was horrified almost beyond words.

 _"Just accept the offer,"_ he told himself, forcing himself to look away from Zelda. _"It's what Malon wants."_

However, Link couldn't help but shift his gaze over to the young queen. Instantly, memories came back to his mind- numerous times where she had asked him to defend Hyrule in some form. As he looked at her face, he could still see flashes of their childhood, back when they first met in the castle. She had changed so much, but perhaps the world around them had not changed enough. Ganon was no longer a threat, but evil would always remain.

To leave Hyrule so vulnerable seemed wrong to him, despite Lera's assurances to the contrary. He released a deep breath, realizing that he was not prepared to accept her offer. The others returned his look, all of them eagerly awaiting what his decision might be. Judging by his expression, Malon could already tell what he was going to say - she knew him better than most people.

"I'm with you no matter what, Link," she reminded him. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. "Do what you think is right."

Link returned her hug but his look drifted to Zelda once more as they parted. "I can't do that, Queen Zelda. I appreciate the offer, but I just... can't." He lowered his head, knowing full well that his answer had disappointed all of them, particularly his wife.

Their own heads drooped as the words came from him. They had all hoped for a different response, but sadly were not surprised by the one they received. Zelda shook her head slowly and closed her eyes.

 _"No, that will not do,"_ she told herself _. "The longer he continues, the more difficult it will be for him to leave give everything up. Perhaps if he sees what a regular existence is like... he'll be ready to sheath his sword forever."_

"Link," she began with some sudden firmness. "You're going on vacation. That's final."

He was taken aback by her response, figuring that she would not say anything further. "But Your Majesty, I-"

"No arguments, Link," she replied calmly. "For the next several months, you will not be receiving any requests from me. No adventures, trips, or anything of that sort. You may do what you want," she said with a warm smile.

Malon smiled a bit as well. It would be the first time in years that he was not continuously preoccupied with something. Zelda turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"And we will ensure that you have time off as well, Malon. We will send some workers to your ranch to ensure that your duties are fulfilled."

The happiness grew on Malon's face even more as Link continued to stand by in confusion. Time off had become so rare for him, after jumping at almost every chance to help the land. He thought carefully to the last extended period of time when he was not serving Hyrule in some way.

 _"Well, there was that one week from about two years ago. Didn't do much then,"_ he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. _"Come to think of it, I have been meaning to finish that book and fix up the kitchen.."_

"Well... okay. T-thank you, Queen Zelda," he said sheepishly.

"This sounds wonderful!" Malon exclaimed, hopping up and down briefly. "Oh, thank you so much, Your Majesty! We've always wanted to see the world! This'll be the perfect chance, Link!"

"Yeah, you're right," he replied, still trying to process what was happening.

"Don't mention it," Zelda replied with a bit of a laugh. "You both deserve it. Now go on, your vacation has already started. Don't waste it here!"

Before Link could say anything else, the redheaded farm girl grabbed his hand and dashed off towards the gate leading to Castle Town, waving goodbye to Zelda and Lera along the way. Link struggled to keep up with her as she pulled him along. Neither of them knew what they would do first, but Malon was far too excited to worry about that.

Lera looked up at the queen and nodded slightly. "I think you did the right thing, Your Majesty."

Zelda continued to watch them until the two had left her eyesight, rather amused at her friend's burst of enthusiasm. Within moments, they were gone. "No one person should have to endure that kind of pressure for so many years." They began walking back towards the inner portion of the castle, not entirely certain how Link would react to this sudden change. "I don't want Link to have to draw his blade for war ever again."

"Nor do I," Lera replied. " But he seemed awfully uncertain. Do you think this will work?"

She turned to her young friend as they entered a large hallway. "I definitely hope so, Lera."


	3. Chapter 2

The lake sat quiet, the waters slowly rocking the small wooden boat back and forth. The breeze and the gentle waves barely moved the two Hylians at all as they sat in the middle of the massive lake. It was still morning, the sun peeking just enough above the horizon to cast a warm, clear glow across the waters. Nearby, two small red and white bobbers carelessly dipped above and below the surface of the clear water. Peering over the side briefly, they could almost see the very bottom of the lake.

The farm girl gently pulled back on her fishing rod, hoping that the activity might catch the attention of a nearby fish.

"It's been so long since I've done this," she said just above a whisper. "I'm not leavin' until I walk away with something," she continued with a grin, looking at the young man on the opposite side of the boat.

Link reeled his line back and took a look to see if he had caught anything. Just like the previous attempts, nothing had bitten the lure.

"I think I'm getting rusty too," he replied, casting his line back again. "I just need some more practice. I almost forgot how much I enjoyed this. I used to spend hours out here with Navi... usually brought in quite a haul. We'll come back tomorrow if we have to."

"That's the spirit, Fairy Boy. By the time this vacation is over, we're gonna be the land's best fishing team!" she covered her mouth quickly, realizing that she had probably startled the fish with her burst of enthusiasm. "Oops."

"Ahh, don't worry too much- I don't think we're going to catch much today, Malon. If they haven't started biting already, they probably won't for the rest of the day." He looked out at the lake with a tinge of apprehension on his face. He easily recalled the time he had almost drowned here.

She shrugged in response and returned her attention to the vast stretch of water in front of her. "Oh well. I guess that's not the point. It's just nice to have the day off for once. Even _I_ get tired of smelling like hay after a while!" She placed her rod down and reclined in the boat, resting her hands behind her head.

"When _was_ the last time you weren't working at the ranch?" he asked, struggling to think of an instance. He cast his line back out into the water, but was already certain that it'd be just as unsuccessful as his last attempt.

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of a particular occasion either. She scratched her head as her thoughts progressed backwards in time.

"Ummm... I guess it was when I went lookin' for you in that wilderness," she said with a bit of a laugh.

"That doesn't really count as time off, does it?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"Depends on how you look at it," she replied with a wink. "I think it was time well spent." Link chuckled in response, knowing what she meant easily.

Link set down his own fishing rod and began to sort aimlessly through their tackle box, looking for nothing in particular. Along with an assortment of lures, bait, and extra lines, the box had a small snack for each of them, including a couple of bottles of Lon Lon's famous milk. He took a rather large swig of the delicious drink and corked it again, letting out a satisfied breath.

"Hey, save some for me!" she teased, nudging his leg with her boot. "You've been sipping at that stuff all morning!"

"Sorry! It's not my fault this stuff's so delicious." He took another drink just to tease her back. "Ahh, that really hit the spot!"

"Oh, you're such a child!" she joked.

She turned over and looked over the edge of their boat. It was rocking a bit more at this point, so she knew that catching anything would be practically impossible now. She looked at her reflection briefly before calling out to her husband.

"Hey... what is that?"

"Hmm? Did you see something? A large fish?" he inched over closer to her and looked down into the water.

"There it is," she said, pointing at something below the waves. "Can't you see it?"

Nothing stood out to him, other than some very small and unimpressive fish, along with some vegetation at the bottom.

He shook his head and craned his neck around to try to get a better look. "No, I don't know what you're looking at. I don't see anything."

"What do you mean you don't see anything? It's right there, Fairy Boy!" A playful smile crept across her face, which she tried to hide.

"Malon, I don't get it," he said with a small laugh, inching his face closer to the water. "What are you talking ab-"

Suddenly, Malon quickly splashed some water in his face before he could finish his sentence. She laughed as he wiped his face off and began to wring out his shirt.

"I can't believe I fell for that," he said somewhat flatly.

"Neither can I!" she said, still laughing. "Lighten up a little, we're just here to have some fun."

Link looked up at her as a smile of his own began to grow. "Fun, you say?"

"Yeah, there's no need to take this so seriously," she replied, no longer caring if she caught a single fish.

Link grabbed both sides of the boat, with a playful look on his face. "I agree."

Malon's own smile quickly disappeared. "Wait, what are you doing?"

The young man began to rock the boat back and forth rhythmically, first slowly, then building up momentum. His expression hardly changed as he continued to stare at her, amused at her sudden surprise.

"I'm having fun, aren't you?"

"S-stop that right now!" she stammered, grabbing the boat as tight as she could as it listed to an even greater degree. She tried to muster an upset look, but it only made Link laugh some more.

"Stop what?"

"Stop shaking the boat!" she exclaimed, knowing that he wasn't going to stop. Water was already beginning to spill over the sides and pool at the bottom of the small boat at their feet. She almost fell out as the boat continued to shake.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" he said. "Must be the waves or something."

"Link! Link, if you don't knock it off right now, I'm gonna... AAH!"

Before she knew it, the boat had toppled over and they had both landed in the water with a large splash. Malon swam back to the surface and took a deep breath, surprised that it had actually happened. She wasted no time in splashing her husband several more times as she continued to tread water.

Link held his hands in front of his face to shield himself from the water, coughing a bit up between laughs.

"What's the matter? I thought you said you wanted to have some fun!" he said, swimming closer to her.

"That's not what I meant!" she said, her grin slowly returning. It was hard for her to be mad at all, particularly at him. She grabbed a lock of her hair and tried to wring it out, but knew that it was largely pointless.

"Oh well, I'm sorry," he said, hugging her as best as he could in the middle of the lake. She crossed her arms and pretended to be angry at him some more, but he wasn't fooled. Her normally cheerful nature made it difficult for her to be angry.

"No you're not," she said, suppressing another laugh.

"...No, I guess I'm not," he responded, still wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her cheek.

She rolled her eyes and returned his hug. It was an awkward feeling to do so while treading water, but it was oddly enjoyable- the strange, almost weightless feeling was relaxing in a way. Placing her fake anger aside, she kissed him on the lips for a moment before they looked on each others' faces. She already knew that it would be a great vacation. She was deeply relieved to see that he was at peace.

They locked in another tender kiss for some time, holding on to each other closely so that they wouldn't somehow sink. Even when they dipped below the waves, they barely seemed to care. The serenity of the lake had returned for a moment.

Not long into their embrace, Link was startled as he felt something swim past his leg. He looked around for whatever it might be, feeling that it was much too large to be a fish.

"What is it?" she asked, following his eyes to search for whatever it was.

"I'm not sure," he replied cautiously, distancing himself from her a bit so that he could get a better look. "Whatever it is, it-"

Without warning, Link abruptly slipped below the surface of the water.

"Link!" she called out, still unable to see what had grabbed him. She took a deep breath, stuck her face below the water and tried to swim towards him. Despite the clearness of the water, her vision was blurred and she could only see a few almost unrecognizable shapes in front of her. Before she could get close, he had already surfaced again, oddly enough. She followed him back up, utterly confused at what was happening.

 _"He's not playing another joke on me, is he?"_

She took a breath as she joined him back on the surface. Before she could ask what was going on, she saw none other than Princess Ruto treading water next to him with a massive grin on her face. Link was less than enthused by having been dragged underwater.

"Princess Ruto! What a surprise," she said with a laugh.

"A big surprise," Link added, wiping the water away from his eyes.

"Hello to the both of you," she returned with a fake disapproving look. "Sorry for doing that, Link- I was just out here for a morning swim. Imagine _my_ surprise to hear such a commotion."

"Oh... sorry about that," Malon replied, her face turning a bit red. She knew that Ruto had probably seen them embracing as well.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to upset your lake. It just sort of happened."

Ruto shrugged and began to swim effortlessly around them. "No harm done. Just warn me next time before you start splashing around. It's a lot louder than you might think."

"Will do," Link replied as they all began to paddle towards the shore.

"What brings you out here? You came to visit me, I assume? It's been quite a while." She smiled playfully at Link.

"Well, we were planning on it, but we had been fishing for a while."

"We're on vacation," Malon added. "Zelda was thoughtful enough to give him a few months off."

"Sounds wonderful," she answered, floating gracefully next to them as they awkwardly paddled along. It amused the Zora slightly to see them put so much effort into something that was as natural as breathing for her. She was able to flow quickly and seamlessly through the lake as though she was just another current or wave, but both of their swimming forms could certainly use improvement.

"I just wished you had told me. It gets kinda dull swimming around here sometimes."

Malon and Link stepped onto the sandy shore and began to squeeze the water out of their clothes and hair. Despite the warm summer air, they were already shivering. They lied down in the soft, warm sand and waited for the morning sun to start drying them off.

"You're welcome to join us tonight, Princess Ruto," Malon said as Link nodded in agreement. "We were gonna see a play later on. Should be a lot of fun."

Ruto thought for a moment. "A lovely idea, but I'm afraid that I have other matters to attend to this evening."

"Some other time then?" Link asked.

"Of course," she answered with a smile. "I'd like that very much. I can hardly wait- Link must look so dashing in an evening outfit."

Link's face turned bright red in response, which he was fully aware of. Malon and Ruto couldn't help but laugh at his embarassment. Although Ruto no longer had any romantic feelings for the Hero of Time, she had far too much fun teasing him at any given chance.

"He definitely does," the farm girl concurred. "The last time we went out, he looked like a prince or something. Handsome as can be."

"Hardly," Link said, rolling his eyes. He imagined the rather bizarre and stuffy outfit. "Most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn. Makes me feel more like a clown than anything." He almost would've preferred to wear a full suit of armor to such an event. At least he wouldn't have to worry about dirtying such a thing.

The two ladies continued to laugh. "That's his way of saying that he's lookin' forward to it," Malon added.

"Wait a second..." Link said, sitting up. "Where's our food?"

They both continued to giggle at Link's confusion as Malon gave him a look. "What do you mean? It fell out of the boat while you were "having fun", Fairy Boy."

"I could go fetch it for you, if you'd like," Ruto offered. "Shouldn't take me more than a minute or two."

"That's alright. It's my fault in the first place," Link answered as he waded back into the lake. Within moments he was awkwardly paddling back towards the overturned boat.

"You think he'll be able to find it all?" Ruto asked as she sat down in the sand. "It's probably all at the bottom by now."

Malon shrugged and stretched her arms as the morning sun glowed on her face. "Maybe, but it's no big deal. I'm sure we have plenty of food back at our house." She felt like taking a nap already, even though it was still quite early in the day.

Ruto suddenly became quiet for a few moments as she looked out towards the lake. A troubled look crossed her face and she let out a deep breath. Malon easily noticed her odd silence.

"Something wrong, Princess Ruto?"

"...I'm not sure," she replied, still observing the lake with a somewhat vacant expression. "Something has been bothering me lately."

Malon turned to look at the sage. The tone of the Zora's voice lacked its usual enthusiasm. "What is it?"

Ruto simply shook her head. "Something just doesn't feel right. There's been a... shadow in my mind."

Her vague words stuck with Malon. Her eyes shifted towards her husband, who had just turned around to head back to shore, swimming at a brisk pace. "How long has this been going on, Ruto?"

"Some time now, I'm afraid. I can't explain it. I haven't felt anything like this in a while."

 _"Not since Ganon..."_ she thought. She turned towards the farm girl, as a look of uncertainty crossed her face.

"But maybe it's nothing," she added, trying to erase some of the fear in her voice.

"Maybe," Malon echoed quietly as Link trudged onto the shore with the tacklebox in his arms.

"Sorry I took so long," he said. "But I think I got my workout for the day," he added with a chuckle. He sat down next to them and pried open the box, only to find that most of the food had not lasted in the water.

Before Malon could reply, Ruto spoke up. "Link, how have things been?" Her tone of voice was low and not the least bit casual.

"Uhh, fine I guess," he replied, puzzled by her sudden change of demeanor. He removed each of his boots and emptied the water from them.

"No, I mean have you felt anything? Anything... strange?" she lowered her voice even further, her eyes widening. She could easily see that there was nobody else around except for them, but she felt it necessary to speak quietly anyway.

Link now understood exactly what she was getting at. Looking at his wife however, he decided to play it down. Keeping anything from her bothered him, but he was still not prepared to tell her specifically what was filling him with worry. Doing so would only scare her unnecessarily, he supposed. It would have to wait.

"Yeah, I guess I have," he replied, trying to keep a calm tone. "There's always evil in the world, you know? Nothing that can't be dealt with." He offered a smile to both of them, though Malon was somewhat unconvinced by his vagueness.

"I suppose so," Ruto replied. "Just keep an eye out, alright?"

"Will do," he responded before turning to his wife. "Malon, if we want to look presentable tonight, we should probably get home and change soon, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," she replied, trying to wring out a lock of her hair. "It was nice to see you, Princess Ruto."

"Yeah. Sorry we couldn't stay long. Hope you don't mind if we stop by again sometime soon."

"Anytime, Link. Have fun, you two," Ruto responded as they parted ways. She watched as the two headed back towards Castle Town as the feeling persisted in her thoughts. Ruto could only wonder if Link was as troubled as she was.

* * *

A cool evening wind blew through an open window into the small house. Inside, the young couple was scurrying about, ensuring that they looked their best for the show later on. Or at least, one of them was.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Link said, looking at himself in a mirror. "Theater or not, this seems far too stuffy."

He began to adjust various parts of his outfit. Every time he messed with one part of it, another would seem to become more uncomfortable. It didn't have a terribly flashy design, but it was stiff and cumbersome to move about in, not at all like his green tunic or any of his other more casual attire.

"For the third time, yes," Malon said with a small laugh from an adjacent room. "It's what they expect us to wear." She silently conceded that it probably was a terribly uncomfortable outfit.

When Link had removed the formal outfit from the rest of his belongings, he had to clean it quite thoroughly. After not having worn it for years, it was covered in dirt and dust, and he was already eager to return it to its container for several more years.

"Feels like I'll rip the thing if I make a sudden movement," he said under his breath. "And I look like a-"

"Like a prince," Malon interrupted as she entered the room.

Her clothing was just as formal as her husband's but not nearly as uncomfortable- a simple dress, similar in color to her favorite skirt. She had forgone any extra jewelry and had done little to change her hair. She shared Link's lack of enthusiasm for anything showy.

"How do I look?" she asked, slowly turning around.

Link nodded his head and offered a large smile. "Stunning, as always."

A warm grin appeared on her face. "Thank you. Maybe this is what Zelda feels like?" she wondered aloud as they headed out the door.

"Guess we'll have to ask her sometime. Maybe at her next party."

Malon glanced at him, only to notice that he had quietly slipped something into his pocket. She had caught just a glimpse of it, but was sure that it was his knife. _"Even now, he's anticipating a fight..."_ She quietly let out a deep breath as she clasped his hand and they continued on towards the theater in the middle of the town.

After several uneventful minutes of walking, they had arrived at the large building and had taken their places among the other audience members. All around them were priceless paintings and elaborate wall carvings, with ornate chandeliers high above them. If they had not known any better, they would've guessed that they had walked into a wing of Hyrule Castle.

"So many people here," Malon stated, trying to keep her voice above the rest of the noise. They likely would not quiet down until the play was underway. "Recognize anyone?"

"A few people," he answered, spotting some fairly familiar faces in the crowd. "Acquaintances, mostly."

Something discomforted the young man- a nagging feeling that even though he was just one person in such a large crowd, he was being watched in particular. His eyes darted around the theater, but he couldn't see anything that stood out to him. The people that he spotted looking in his direction were clearly doing so out of amazement that the Hero of Time was among them.

Link moved about in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. The noise of the crowd began to fade as the play started. Malon observed closely, as it was so uncommon for her to attend things like this. Though it was similarly rare for Link, his mind was elsewhere, and he could only bring his attention to the events on stage every so often.

Throughout the play, he said virtually nothing and gave little reaction to anything humorous or remarkable that happened. Partway through the play, he gave up on trying to divide his attention equally and simply kept himself aware of his surroundings. Eventually, Malon turned to her husband, curious about his quietness.

"What do you think so far?" she whispered.

"It's... it's fine," he responded, inching his hand closer to the knife in his pocket, hoping that he wouldn't have to use it.

The young lady wasn't convinced by his reply. His discomfort was much too obvious. "You alright?"

Something deeply unpleasant flashed in his mind- it was so brief that he couldn't even recall what it was. It chilled him to his core, regardless, and he wasn't sure from where it originated. He closed his eyes and attempted to focus on it but could not bring it back to his thoughts between the noise of the crowd and the activity on the stage.

"Link?" she continued. "Do you feel sick or something?"

The swordsman rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "Excuse me... I just need some fresh air," he stated, promptly rising out of his seat and filing towards one of the doors. Wasting no time, Malon stood up and followed him out, being careful not to step on anyone's feet.

Several paces ahead of her, Link walked briskly down a mostly empty hallway and threw open a pair of doors near the end of it, stepping out into the cool night air. He took a seat next to the building and hoped that the fresh air really would help jog his memory. Closing his eyes, it was still difficult to recall what it was that struck his thoughts.

Malon stepped out of the building a few moments later and knelt next to him. "Link, are you okay? What's going on?"

"...The room was too stuffy. Far too warm for me," he replied, pressing his head back against the building.

She shook her head, not believing his answer for a second. "No, really, what's the matter? Talk to me," she said, clasping her hands around his. "You can tell me."

Link looked up into her deep blue eyes, bringing a bit of peace to his troubled thoughts. No matter what he said, he knew that she would never think less of him. However, even if he wanted to tell her what had gone through his mind, he wasn't sure if he could put words to it. It was less of an image and more of a vague presence.

"It felt like we were being watched." It was at least a half-truth.

She noticed a few beads of sweat on his forehead as some of the color disappeared from his face. "A-alright," she hesitated. "Maybe we should just head home then?"

"No, no," he replied, returning to his feet. "You really wanted to see this play. I'm sure I'm just imagining things." He straightened his outfit and started towards the doors, but his wife held onto his hand and hadn't moved.

"Forget the play, Link. Let's just get home." Now, she too had the faintest suspicion that someone or something was watching them.

Without a word of protest, Link walked with her back towards home. The feeling faded as they neared their small house, but Link kept his hand close to his knife just in case. To his relief, their walk was just as uneventful as any other trip through Castle Town.

After they arrived home, Link paced about as Malon made herself ready for sleep. He checked the locks on the windows and the door repeatedly, not quite content that the house was secure. The feeling from earlier was just barely on the edge of his thoughts now, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"Link, everything is going to be fine," Malon said as she slid into the bed. It was already late and her eyelids were quite heavy. "There's nothing out there that could possibly handle you in a fight," she added with a faint smile.

Her confidence in him gave him more comfort than she was aware. "Thanks, but I can never be too sure," he said as he checked the bedroom's window once more.

"Please don't stay up too late, alright?"

"I'll try," he answered with a grin from across the room. "Goodnight, Malon."

"Goodnight, Fairy Boy," she said before snuffing out their lantern and slowly drifting off into a deep rest.

Link sat at the foot of the bed with the Master Sword sheathed in his lap. He stared out into the darkness of the rest of the small house, still trying to bring that specific thought back into his mind. He knew that sleep would likely elude him tonight.


	4. Chapter 3

A small burst of wind blew gently through the leaves of the tall trees. The sound was just enough to stir Link from his rest, and he slowly opened his eyes. At first, the dazzling light of the sun hit his vision, forcing him to look away for a moment. As he slowly recovered, he realized that he was lying down in some tall grass. Rising to his feet, his sight finally began to return to him.

All around him stood a large forest that was as breathtaking as any painting. Everything from the grass to the trees was a deep green - a picturesque spring day.

Rather than stop to behold the sight before him, he could only scratch his head in confusion. _"How did I get here?"_ he wondered, taking a few aimless steps forward.

Instinctively he could tell that these woods must have stretched on for untold miles in every direction. For a moment he was able to hear the sound of a gentle river cascading over some rocks nearby. Link rubbed his eyes and looked around slowly, still not entirely sure where he was. The deep blue sky overhead, the soft grass beneath his boots - it was serene, but odd.

" _Something's familiar about this..."_

A quiet, soothing voice called out from behind him, prompting him to turn around. There before him in the small clearing stood his wife, as beautiful as ever. Her red hair shined in the sunlight as her deep blue eyes looked him over. He grinned in excitement, and she returned a smile of her own. Even if he couldn't explain how he had gotten there, he was glad to be with her.

Malon took a few cautious steps closer to him and began to shake slightly. Her cheerful demeanor remained, but it had faded a bit. _"Why does she look so nervous?"_ he wondered.

"Link, I have to tell you something..."

The words echoed through his mind. There was something peculiar about them. More than that, everything else around him felt strange.

"What is it?" he asked, almost without thinking.

She continued to look at him but struggled to keep eye contact. "Well, this is difficult for me to say... just bear with me."

A chill ran down his spine. Her choice of words, her tone, her subtle movements - they seemed so odd to him. Something struck him once more - an unshakable feeling of familiarity that pulled at his thoughts. His eyes widened and his heart began to beat faster.

" _I've been here before... many months ago."_

He stayed quiet and simply listened to her as she continued to speak. A faint smile spread across his face as his memory returned to him. He briefly wondered why this was happening again, but he was far too happy to care that much.

"Over the past few days, I've realized something," she went on. "I should've realized it long ago."

Link already knew what she was going to say - she was about to pour out her feelings for him. Although he had many questions, he was not about to rush her. He savored the moment, still breathless that she would love him so deeply. There was obvious discomfort, both on her reddening face and in her uneven voice. It was sad to see, but he supposed that it was also kind of cute, in a way.

"When I saw you floating out in that lake a while back- when I heard you had been arrested... I hadn't felt so devastated in years. The thought of losing you was... horrible. It felt like I lost more than a friend."

That foul memory returned to him briefly. He was immensely grateful that she had rescued him, but he was also ashamed of himself for what had happened. _"She could have died because of me,"_ he scolded himself. Snapping out of that memory, something caught Link's eye as Malon became quiet. The sky appeared different. The clear blue had turned to a dull gray and covered in clouds, suggesting rain.

 _"Wait... I don't remember that."_

Below him, the grass seemed less green, as though an imminent winter was starting to destroy it. That didn't add up. It was impossible for him to forget that day - he thought of it often, and every detail was still clear to him. Link was momentarily bothered by this, but he returned his attention to the only thing that really mattered at the moment. He wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by some unpleasant weather at a time like this.

"I've done things that I never dreamed that I would do... and I would do it all over again."

The fact that she had braved the wilderness alone to find him still meant the world to him. They had been great friends for years, but that was truly remarkable to him.

Link could not help but look up at the sky again. Now, it had become almost as dark as night. However, there was nothing calm about it- it was eerie and disquieting, with not a single star to be seen. The same malevolent presence that he had felt earlier began to creep into his mind.

 _"Something is very wrong..."_

Strangely, even without the sun or stars overhead, he could still clearly see his wife before him. "Malon," he began. "What's going on here? Why is the sky getting so dark?" The swordsman did his best to keep his voice calm, so as not to scare her. He wasn't sure if she would have an answer, but it was doubtful that there was anyone else around for miles.

His friend gave him a confused look before she glanced at the darkness above. "I don't know what you're talking about, Link." Link could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't pulling his leg, and he decided to stay quiet once more.

"You mean so much to me, Link... You always have. I've never felt this way about anyone else before."

A smile grew across his face as a stiff breeze blew at his back. _"She's going to say it,"_ he thought, eagerly anticipating her next words.

"I... I love you, Link."

A feeling of immense joy overtook him, as it had so many other times. Nothing made him happier than to hear her say those words. The strong winds around him and the dark sky overhead could not take that away from him. He was more than ready to pour out his own emotions for her.

The hero opened his mouth to speak. He tried to form words but was immediately alarmed to find that his voice had left him. Momentarily confused, he attempted to speak again, this time a little bit louder. Still, nothing escaped from his mouth. His eyes widened as he looked at his wife, hoping that she might somehow have an explanation.

 _"Wh-what's going on?"_ he thought, still desperately trying to make some sort of sound. _"Why can't I speak?"_ he shouted in his mind.

Malon looked back at him curiously. She was still slightly uneasy after telling Link how she really felt, but she had collected herself a bit. At first, her look was one of patience. A few moments later, after hearing nothing from her friend, her expression turned to one of worry and then to deep sadness.

"W-why aren't you saying anything?" she asked quietly. She did not see his obvious attempt to speak and instead only noticed his silence. She began to sniff as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

 _"No! Please, don't cry! I don't understand! What happened to my voice?"_

Link tried to shout how much he loved her - how he never wanted to be with anyone else. He knew that if he had tried to do so with his voice intact, it would have become hoarse very quickly.

" _Come on!"_ he told himself. _"I'm not trying hard enough!"_

Link fell to his knees as he continued to speak and yell in vain. His face became red from frustration and his chest began to burn. He smashed his fists into the dirt beneath him, his vocal cords straining from the fruitless effort.

The winds around them grew even more intense, almost enough to blow them over. The trees near them shook violently from the force of the gales. Malon took a step back from him and placed a hand over her mouth, still confused at his silence.

"Do... do I repulse you or something? I disgust you... Is that it?"

 _"NO!"_ he shouted in his mind, trying to translate it into audible words. Horror and sorrow crossed his face as he tried to approach her on his knees. _"I love you, Malon! Please, hear me!"_

His actions only puzzled her more. "You think I'm weak... don't you? I'm a hindrance to you." She lowered her head and hid it in her hands as her own tears flowed from her eyes. "It's okay if you don't love me. Just say so."

Link strained himself to shout until his lungs were devoid of air. No battle cry he had ever bellowed could have compared with his attempt to yell now.

" _No! You're not weak! I love you with all of my heart!"_ The louder he shouted without result, the more intense the winds became and the more he sobbed. He buried his own face in his hands. To stand before the one he loved and to see her in such pain struck him to his core.

"I understand, Link. But, just tell me... please. Just tell me if you don't love me." Her eyes were watery, but her voice had become calm.

Link crawled before Malon's feet and grasped her hands, desperately trying to speak further, his throat hurting from the effort. He felt that no matter what he did, she would get nothing but silence from him, but he refused to stop trying - she had to hear him.

Malon looked to him slowly as a faint, pained smile appeared on her lips. "Don't worry, Link. I won't bother you ever again. Goodbye."

 _"No! I love you!"_ he pleaded silently.

Link's eyes widened further as a bizarre, inky substance began to creep out from the forest directly towards his wife. He tried to push her out of the way, but his body refused to comply.

" _Run, Malon!"_ he tried to shout as the substance collected around her feet. _"Get out of here!"_

The sad expression on her face did not change, even as the substance slowly overtook her. As Malon disappeared into the night, Link let out the loudest yell he could possibly manage.

Suddenly, Link found himself in his bed. He had jolted upright with a start, staring into the darkness all around him. The echoes of his last scream reverberated through the house and remained in his ears. He could feel a thin layer of sweat on his body as he gripped the sheets of his bed and struggled to bring his breathing back to a normal level.

Link remained frozen in place for a few moments, unnerved by what had just happened. He shifted about in his bed and looked to his side. Malon was still next to him with her head on her pillow, appearing to still be sound asleep. It was a tremendous relief to see her safe and sound.

"Just a dream..." he said quietly, running his hand through his messy blonde hair. "Just a dream."

No nightmare had ever shook him so severely. Even now, he could vividly see flashes of that horrible dream in his mind. He wondered if the images would ever leave him. He closed his eyes and continued to slow his uneven breathing as the sound of his rapid heartbeat began to return to normal.

He wanted to dismiss it and return to sleep, but it stayed with him. There was no more reason for him to think about it. It was just a dream, after all, and it couldn't possibly hurt him, he told himself.

As he slowly regained himself, he opened his eyes and ran his hand gently across his wife's cheek. Her skin was cold, and she moved ever so slightly. He released one more deep breath, relieved that she was actually there, that she wasn't some sort of hallucination.

Link threw his feet over the side of the bed and placed his feet on the cold wooden floor. There would be no more sleep for him tonight - he feared what he might see again in his dreams. He gripped the hilt of his sheathed Master Sword and walked to the door of their humble room.

With a chill down his spine, he looked out into the rest of the small house, worried that something awaited him. The house was as quiet as it could possibly be, so much so that Link could almost hear his wife breathing from across the room. Gripping his sword tighter, he stepped into the main portion of the house, preparing himself for some kind of attack.

His eyes scanned every part of the room, but it was clear that nothing had been disturbed. The windows were shut and locked, their belongings had not been moved, and the rug over the trapdoor leading to his armory was right where it had been several hours ago.

Over and over in his mind he could still see the final images of his nightmare. After searching for several minutes, he returned to his room but stopped and lowered himself to the floor against the wall. He would sit in that spot next to the door of the room as long as he needed to. Nothing was going to harm her.

The farm girl slowly stirred in the bed and opened her eyes. At first she did not move, but she could tell that Link had left their bed. As her mind returned to a proper state of consciousness, she sat up slowly and immediately spotted Link sitting against the wall, moving very little.

His look was intense but strangely empty as he gazed out of a far window. He had not noticed that his wife was no longer asleep. She lowered her head in sorrow, knowing that he had just had another nightmare. They were becoming more frequent, and this had to have been the fourth one in the past week. He had never said what they were about, but she could tell that they had been disturbing.

Without a word, she sat up out of her bed and approached him, being extra sure to make a fair amount of noise as she did so. It would do neither of them any good to sneak up on him at a time like this.

She placed her hand on the back of his neck and slowly lowered herself to the ground, sitting down right next to him and offering an understanding look. Link gave her a glance but said nothing. His eyes began to water as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her presence was welcome, but he had never felt so vulnerable.

For the rest of the night, neither of them spoke a single word.

* * *

The next morning was just as quiet as the night before. A cold draft swept through the small house, interrupting what would normally be a cozy scene. The silence between the two Hylians was not one of frustration, but of sadness. For the most part, they had avoided looking at one another, not certain of what to say.

Link sat at their table and sipped from a glass of water. His eyelids were heavy from the lack of sleep, but he forced them open as best as he could. At several points, he jolted upright, catching himself before he fell asleep again. He struggled to put the dream out of his mind. Though he had experienced his share of nightmares, this one had unsettled him in a lasting way.

Malon moved slowly in her own fatigue as she prepared breakfast for herself. She rubbed her eyelids and tried to focus as she went on with her day.

After her food was ready, she took a spot next to her husband at the small table and began to eat from her plate. Link had always fixed his own meals, so it bothered her that he had not tried. She looked him over slowly. His gaze was still empty as he looked towards the window. He was fully aware of her presence, but he had not acknowledged it.

This was becoming far too serious to tiptoe around anymore. She considered her words carefully before she spoke, deciding that a simple question would be the best idea.

"How do you feel?" she asked quietly, setting down her eating utensils.

Link was silent for a second before he replied. His face twitched as he remembered his dream and tried to think of a way to explain it. "Not well." His focus still had not moved from the window. Unsurprisingly, his tone was very dull.

Malon paused again before she continued. To say the wrong thing now might cause him to close up even further. She could not blame him for being so distant about it, but she wanted them to be as open with one another as possible.

"You have to tell me what's going on, Link." She suppressed a lump in her throat. "This is becoming... dangerous."

He closed his eyes and his head drooped slightly in shame. "I know. I owe you an explanation, but..."

"But what?" she asked calmly. "I only want to help you. Please, just tell me." She placed her hand on his bare arm, causing him to shiver slightly.

Link opened his eyes and turned to look at her. As his eyes met hers, he could think of nothing but his own vulnerability. He had been scarred by years of war - he had faced many foul monsters and bloodthirsty men. Every day he thought of the moment where he would be able to sheath his sword forever. In his pessimism, he often figured that he would never see such a thing happen.

However, Malon was innocent. Link hoped with all of his heart that she wouldn't have to see any more bloodshed or chaos. She had seen plenty of it during Ganon's reign, but she had not had to witness so many of the evil creatures that he had slain. He knew how strong she was, but there was no need for her or anyone else to see or think of such suffering.

"It's... I've felt something for a while now. It's hard to talk about," he began before taking another drink of water.

Malon watched him intently as he continued, saying nothing further. She could tell that he was about to give her a more thorough answer this time.

"It's a... dark presence." He wondered if that could begin to properly describe it. "No matter where I go, it feels like something is breathing down my neck. Sometimes it's easy to ignore, but sometimes it's almost suffocating. Whatever it is, it feels like it's watching me... watching _us_."

Malon's eyes widened slightly. She recalled a strange feeling from the previous evening. She too had felt uneasy as they stood outside the theater.

"I can't properly put it into words," he stated. "And that's what bothers me. I can't see... whatever it is. How can I fight something that I can't see?"

She leaned closer to him, placed her hand on his shoulder, and waited patiently for him to go on.

Link's eyes shifted around a bit. "The last time I had ever felt this kind of presence was when I was face to face with Ganon."

A cold feeling ran through her body and her expression twisted a bit. Few things in the world scared the people of Hyrule like the mention of his name. "Do... do you think he's returned?" she asked just barely above a whisper.

Link shook his head slowly. "No. We would all know of it. But whatever this presence is, it carries the same darkness with it. I wish it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but Princess Ruto has felt the same thing."

He turned his gaze up to meet her own. "Nothing makes me happier than to be with you, Malon. But... this threat, I can't even see it. I would do anything to protect you from it, but I don't even know where to begin."

She began to tear up as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. She could feel the pain in his voice.

He returned her hug and held her as close as he could. "It's hard for me to be on edge like this all the time, but I don't have a choice. I have to stay ready." His voice was uneven as he struggled to hold back his own uneasiness.

"I'm so sorry, Link," she returned. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

"There's no need to apologize. You deserve to know. I'm just ashamed that I kept you in the dark for so long... I just didn't want to frighten you."

Although his worries remained, the burden felt a bit lighter after having spoken his mind.

"What should we do?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we can't live in fear."

Malon pulled away from him and nodded her head. She knew that even if he couldn't face it at the moment, they could at least do something to relieve their stress. "Actually, I think I have an idea."


	5. Chapter 4

The couple stepped through the tall grass of Hyrule Field towards a treeline in the distance. With every step, the trees seemed to become larger, stretchig further and further towards the clear blue sky. This trip was a normal occurrence for Link, though his wife was far more eager.

 _"Can't believe I'm finally going to see the Kokiri Forest,"_ she thought as a grin appeared on her face. As excited as she was to finally see one of the most magical places in all of Hyrule, she was still a bit uncertain. _"I just hope my idea works."_

A few moments later, they entered massive forest. For the young lady, she had never been there and was already in awe of the place. Immediately she could feel something different - her mind was clear and her body felt light. This was all very familiar to Link, of course, but he too was always amazed at the beauty of it.

Even through the dense canopy of leaves overhead, the place was so bright and welcoming. Rays of sunlight peaked through the treetops and cast a warm glow onto the lush forest floor. A calm breeze gently shook the trees rhythmically, and they both silently noted how easy it might be to fall asleep in a place like this. Link had told Malon about the forest on many occasions, but it was even more incredible than he had led her to believe.

Malon stood in astonishment as she looked around at the tall trees. "This is unbelievable..." she trailed off, barely able to describe what she was seeing. She placed her hand on one of the sturdy tree trunks and could only guess as to how old it was.

"It's really something else, isn't it?" he responded before helping her across a small river. He observed several familiar spots in the forest as they moved closer to their destination. In the years since he had rid them of Ganon's monsters, they had returned to their natural beauty. Hopefully they would stay unmarred by the outside world as the centuries passed.

The dark feeling that had bothered Link for so long had been reduced to almost nothing in the presence of such a place. He chuckled at his wife's wide-eyed curiosity - everything that had become so familiar to him caught her interest. She had to restrain herself from wandering off towards several things that caught her eye.

"Seems like it'd be so easy to get lost 'round here," she noted. For the first time in her life, the thought of getting hopelessly lost didn't bother her at all. She knew that she could wander for days in such a place and never run into any danger. She even briefly considered staying there for the rest of their vacation.

"Happened to me more than a few times," Link replied with a hint of embarrassment. "Saria still reminds me about it."

Malon's almost childlike enthusiasm was infectious to her husband - the forest certainly did make Link feel like a kid once more.

Eventually, they found themselves in a large clearing. Malon looked around curiously, noticing that there were many small faces peeking out from behind the large trees.

"Those must be the Kokiri," she whispered, fearing that if she spoke too loudly she would scare them away.

"Sure are," he answered, not bothering to keep his voice low. "Hey everyone, come on out. No need to hide!"

With loud cheers, the children and their forest fairies crowded around their friend in green as he approached them. It had been so long since they had seen him. The children who had given Link such a hard time when he was a child were still regretful for doing so. Whereas before they looked at him with dismissal and mockery, they were now amazed at what he had become.

"You're back?!" one of them exclaimed.

"Told ya he'd return!" another replied with a large smile.

"I've been overdue for a visit, haven't I?" Link stated with a laugh.

"I'll say you have! What took you so long?"

"He's got important stuff to do!" one of them responded. "Weren't you listening to Saria?"

Malon simply looked on as they started to playfully argue among themselves, simultaneously confused and amused at their enthusiasm. In all of their excitement surrounding the Hero of Time, they had mostly overlooked this unfamiliar face.

One of the children stopped partway through his sentence as he noticed the farm girl. "Wait a second, who are you?"

She knelt down next to the children as they began to look over her with quizzical expressions. They could tell that she was no threat, but they were shy regardless. Several of them took a small step backwards from the unknown lady.

"My name's Malon," she said with a warm smile. "I work at a ranch out in Hyrule."

The Kokiri looked to one another with confusion.

"What's a ranch?" one of them muttered.

A young boy shrugged his shoulders. "No idea."

"Maybe it's just a big tree?" another suggested, partially joking

Malon giggled at their questions. "No, no, I take care of horses. We're just here to visit someone."

"Lookin' for Saria, aren't you?" one of them asked. Before they could respond, two familiar faces appeared from deeper in the forest - a young girl with bright green hair, and a fairy. Link's face lit up as they drew nearer.

"He's back!" Navi exclaimed, darting over to him. He let out another laugh as she bobbed around his head.

"And hello to you too, Navi."

"Welcome back," Saria stated as she approached them. "It's so good to see you again, Link."

"Likewise. I'm sorry it's been so long."

"Don't worry about it," she replied with a smile. "Come on, we have a lot of catching up to do." The Forest Sage's tone was far more calm than that of the rest of the children, even though she knew Link far better than anyone else in the forest.

"Everyone, if you'll excuse us?"

Saria and Navi led the two Hylians away from the rest of the Kokiri as they waved goodbye and scurried off to play in the forest. Shortly thereafter, the small group found themselves in a smaller clearing, this one far more quiet than the last.

Malon was still blown away by the tranquility of the forest, and she wondered how Link was ever able to leave a place like this. She couldn't quite describe how, but there was something almost otherworldly about the forest - it seemed so timeless and untouched by the rest of Hyrule.

They each took a seat on the soft forest floor as a calm breeze flowed through the leaves of the tall trees around them. Malon was the first to speak. "You must be Saria," she began. "Link has told me so much about you."

"Pleasure to meet you," she replied with a handshake. "Link has spoken a lot of you as well, Malon."

"You already know my name?"

"How could I not? The last time Link was here, he barely spoke of anything or anyone else," she said with a giggle. "But I suppose that's to be expected from a newly married couple."

Malon's face became a bit red from embarrassment. Although she had been far too busy during that time to go with him to the forest, he was certain to tell everyone about her.

Link gestured towards the glowing fairy next to him. "I know you two have already met."

"Of course," Malon stated. "How's everything?"

Navi floated around her excitedly. "Fantastic as always! We just started another garden a few days ago! It's gonna look great in a few months!"

Saria reclined with her back to a large tree. "Not much has changed around here. The forest is just as it always was, for the most part."

"It still brings back so many memories," Link stated, taking in the splendor of the area. It was easy to be distracted by a stray noise or wandering fairy. "I really do miss this place sometimes."

"I've never seen anything like this before," Malon added. "It's so..." her voice trailed off, struggling to find the right word.

"Peaceful?" Saria offered.

"That's it," she replied.

Saria nodded her head. "What brings you here today? I assume that there is more to this visit?"

Link properly focused his attention on the sage and stopped allowing himself to be distracted. His expression involuntarily twitched as he recalled his conversation with Princess Ruto.

"There was something I wanted to ask, but..."

Malon and Saria both watched him closely, detecting the sudden unease in his voice. He didn't really want to bring it up, but it had to be done. Small talk and reminiscing were all well and good, but there were far more important matters on his mind.

"Is there a problem?" Saria asked, no less composed than she was before.

"Something has been bothering me - bothering us for sometime now," Link began.

Navi slowed down as she continued to bob around Link. Even someone as excitable and optimistic as her was disquieted by Link's sudden change in demeanor.

"We spoke with Princess Ruto not long ago, and we have all felt something quite awful. We just aren't sure what it is."

Saria's calm expression did not change, though Link could see a layer of concern beneath it. For a moment after he spoke, it was clear that she was contemplating what he had said.

"I think I know what you're referring to. I've felt something emanating from the rest of Hyrule for a while. Vague, but malevolent. When I'm here, it's just on the edge of perception, almost like a whisper. But the other day when I approached the boundary of the forest... it was significant. I fear it's becoming more powerful, whatever it is."

Neither Link nor Malon were surprised to hear this. Link became a bit quiet before he spoke again. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

Saria shook her head as a hint of sadness crossed her face. "I'm afraid I don't. I wish I did, but it's difficult to detect sometimes. I'm sorry... I wish I could be more help."

"No, it's quite alright," Malon replied.

"It's just a relief to know that I'm not just imagining things," Link said, getting to his feet. He began to pace around, rubbing his temples. "It reminds me of Ganon, whatever it is."

Saria's eyes shifted around. "Yes... now that you mention it, it is eerily similar."

"How long has this been going on?" Malon asked.

"Maybe a few weeks. A couple of days ago, I returned to the Forest Temple. I thought I might find some answers there. But there was nothing different there. No monsters, no strange presence... nothing."

Link stopped pacing and closed his eyes, desperately trying to focus on whatever was trying to grip his mind. The stillness of the forest had helped to calm his thoughts, just enough for him to concentrate. Just then, it came to him. It was still a fleeting image - so brief that it was scarcely noticeable.

Link opened his eyes abruptly and clenched his fists slightly. "I saw it." He was certain that it was the same thing that had struck his mind a little while ago. It wasn't just his imagination wandering aimlessly.

Malon stood up next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What was it?"

"So much heat and sand - it had to be the Gerudo Desert... the Haunted Wasteland. I know there was more, but that's all I could see."

Navi started to bounce around quickly at his words. "Y-you're sure?" She had certainly not enjoyed the last time she had been there.

"Absolutely," he replied calmly. "Something is out there, I just don't know what it is."

"I guess you were right about Ganon," Saria replied.

"What do you want to do?" Malon asked, figuring that he would try to face it directly as he so often did.

"I'm not sure yet. I can't just charge into that place unprepared... that desert's just far too vast and dangerous."

Saria offered a faint smile. Her confidence in her friend had only grown over the years. "If you need any help, Link, you can count on me."

"Thank you, Saria. I already feel a bit better." With clarity came peace of mind. He knew that there would be less to fear the more he learned.

For the next several hours, the conversation drifted towards happier matters, figuring that a bit more relaxation might clear their minds some more. Saria showed the ever-curious ranch girl around the forest, in particular the Kokiri Village. Link and Saria exchanged humorous childhood stories, mostly about how his laziness had almost gotten him into trouble.

Malon found each anecdote to be quite amusing, and promised that she would never let him live any of them down. She too had plenty of stories of Link getting into trouble on her ranch. On one particular occasion, she recounted how he had angered one of the cows to the point where it began to chase him.

Link's constant embarrassment was far too endearing to them. As time went on, the two visitors began to become drowsy.

"Hey, what time is it?" Malon asked with a yawn, looking up to the sky. Its color had not changed, giving them no indication of how much time had passed.

"It's almost seven," Saria replied, having a much better grasp on the passage of time in the forest.

"Ahh, we should probably get going soon," Link responded. "We were going to have dinner in town this evening, and we'll have to get back before they close up the gates."

"I'm sorry we couldn't stay longer," Malon added, rising to her feet.

"Yeah, thanks for putting up with us," Link said with a small laugh.

"Come back anytime," Saria replied with a warm smile.

"Bye Link!" Navi said with a giggle. "Be careful out there!"

"I will. Goodbye!" he replied as they began to leave the forest, waving to their friends as they went.

Departing from the massive forest, the two Hylians made the long walk back to Castle Town. The cool night air was welcoming to them. Link hoped to see far more days like this.

* * *

Zelda knelt to the ground, struggling to catch her breath. The sweat dripped from her brow as she recovered from her last fall. A dull pain radiated through her knee following the misstep. Zelda looked down at it with a frown. _"Nothing serious, just keep going,"_ she told herself. It was not the first time she had stumbled on the obstacle course, and she feared that it would happen again soon.

A massive agility and endurance course had been constructed in one of the more disused courtyards of Hyrule Castle. Various rope bridges, balancing beams, and walls were scattered across the large area. It was Zelda's ninth failed attempt of the day, but she refused to give up. She had done it before on previous days, so she had no excuse for stopping now.

"Come on, Your Majesty," Impa said. "Ready to give it another shot?"

Lera also watched her friend, each time hoping that this run would be her last for the day. Though she had confidence in their monarch, it was difficult to watch her get so far into the course, only to abruptly fail.

"I know you can do it, Zelda," she added. "You almost had it that last time."

"Right..." she replied between heavy breaths. She returned to the starting position to give it another try.

Before she could recover fully, Impa had already signaled for her to start once more. As quickly as she could, Zelda darted out of the first position, her Sheikah attire giving her far more flexibility to move about.

Even through her exhaustion, she was able to clear the first obstacle in her path. She quickly scaled a large wall, skipping several grips along the way in order to save time. She leaped from the top of the structure but stumbled as she landed and rolled across the ground.

"Watch your footing. You were unbalanced on that jump."

Zelda gave no audible response, hoping to conserve as much energy as possible. She crossed the next few obstacles in her path with minimal trouble, including a rope swinging course over a small pool of water, and a series of short walls that she was forced to vault over in rapid succession.

"Keep it up, you're making great time," Impa added.

Lera left her spot next to Impa and tried to follow the queen, jotting down notes in a small book along the way. Even though Zelda was clearly very tired and had to favor one leg, she moved with surprising speed - even now it was hard for Lera to keep up.

Zelda's lungs were burning and her muscles ached from the exhaustion. She refused to complain, however. After all, the entire training course had been her idea in the first place, and it had taken her a while to convince Impa to actually implement it.

 _"Almost there, just one more obstacle,"_ she thought to herself as she neared the toughest obstacle of them all. It was a particularly narrow balance beam situated over another pool of water. Under normal circumstances, it would be quite easy. However, it was required that she traverse it with her hands, rather than her feet.

Zelda came to a sudden stop before the final obstacle and took a deep breath before she placed her hands on the beam. Slowly, she moved one hand forward at a time, using her legs and torso to keep her balance along the way. Not even halfway through, and she could already feel her arms shaking from the effort.

 _"Can't stop... have to keep going."_

"You've got this, Zelda!" Lera exclaimed. Impa simply remained quiet and took careful mental notes on Zelda's technique.

The trainee faltered slightly on one of her movements but recovered just in time to move across the beam. She had finally completed the course for the day. The queen nearly fell to her knees as she walked about, hands on her hips.

"Well done, Your Majesty," Impa said as she brought her a flask of water. Zelda drank the entire container of cool fluid almost immediately as Lera breathed a sigh of relief. The queen took a seat on a large stone bench as the others continued to speak.

"Did she beat her best time?" the young girl eagerly asked.

"Not quite. Missed it by about three seconds."

Zelda looked downward and her expression twisted into a small frown. She was disappointed in herself for her "failure".

"Oh, well better luck next time, I guess," Lera stated. She studied her notes carefully. "Don't feel too bad, Your Majesty. That run was still better than your average time. You're obviously improving."

"Not... good enough," she replied between breaths. "I've still got a long way to go."

Impa and Lera joined their friend on the bench and waited for her to catch her breath. Impa handed her another bottle of water. "I think we should call it a day. This training will be useless if you don't allow time for recovery." They all recalled several times in which Zelda had sprained an ankle or came close to fainting.

Zelda shook her head at the idea and tried to stand back to her feet. Her legs were shaking as she did so, prompting Impa to ease her back down onto the bench. "Queen Zelda, you really need to give yourself a break," she insisted.

"She's right, Your Majesty," Lera added, offering her another flask of water. "You could really injure yourself at this rate."

"I can't stop... I have to be stronger."

Since she had started this training regimen, she had not thoroughly explained her motivation for doing so. Neither Lera nor Impa were quite certain why she was so adamant to train rigorously every day. She was already in excellent shape, and she was obviously not trying to show off to impress anyone.

Lera let out an exhale. "Queen Zelda, if I may ask, why are you doing this? We're starting to get worried."

"I'm tired of Link carrying the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders alone," she replied, still breathing somewhat heavily. "I have to do my part as well. I have to be ready."

"But Zelda, you've done so much. You're not giving yourself enough credit."

Zelda turned to look at the young girl. Her voice was calm, but full of resolve. "There's no reason why I can't do more. I may never be as great a warrior as Link, but I'm going to try."

Impa was simultaneously impressed and concerned. Her sudden determination was admirable, but her overexertion did not encourage her.

"We're done for the day," Impa said firmly. "You don't have anything else to prove today."

Zelda finally accepted the sage's words. "Alright. But first thing tomorrow-"

"First thing tomorrow you have a meeting to attend, Your Majesty," Lera reminded her. "You just need a good meal and some rest. Training can wait."

Zelda was unwilling to argue with that. At this point, she was desperate for some warm food and some sleep. "You're right, Lera. Thanks for your help, both of you."

With that, the young queen and her friends slowly walked to the dining area. It was clear that Zelda was limping a bit. As they proceeded, both Lera and Impa could not help but wish that she would be complacent for once.

* * *

A happy tune floated through the large cafe. The smell of fresh food wafted through the air as the restaurant's patrons enjoyed their meals. Link and Malon occupied one of the many tables and hoped to spend a great evening together in the restaurant, as they had already done so several times since their vacation began. For this occasion, they had both decided to skip wearing their fancier attire, and instead wore their favored clothing.

Upon Link's insistence, they had chosen a table along one of the walls. From this view, he could easily see most of the store. He was more relaxed than he had normally been, but he could not help himself from looking around frequently as people came and went.

Malon tried a spoonful of her soup as she glanced at her husband across the table. "How do you like the food?"

He had been eyeing a door on the far side of the building after he spotted an unfamiliar face. The swordsman snapped his attention back to her. "I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

"I said, how do you like the food?" she said with a small laugh.

"Oh, it's... it's great," he replied, sampling some of the meat on his plate.

"You're sure? That's one of the few bites you've taken all night. Is it not good enough for your fancy palate?" she teased.

"No, no, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm still a bit distracted." He had grown weary of voicing his concern so frequently, but it was hard to ignore.

"How about we pay a visit to Queen Zelda tomorrow? She might be able to properly explain what you saw."

Link nodded his head in agreement as he subtly reached into his pocket. "Sounds good to me. Couldn't hurt to ask. In the meantime..."

He placed a small box on the table right in front of her. The container was covered in a soft blue fabric and had been adorned with some crests. Link gently nudged it towards his wife, who eyed it intently.

"A present?"

"Mhmm. Go ahead, open it." He smiled as she picked it up and slowly cracked it open.

Her eyes widened as she saw what was inside: a simple but dazzling silver necklace. A large smile appeared on her face as she barely contained her enthusiasm. She immediately fastened it around her neck and tried to catch a reflection of herself in the window next to her.

"Oh, thank you, it's just lovely!" she exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low. "Is there an occasion?"

"Not really," he replied casually. "I saw no reason not to get it. Just something to complement your beauty."

Her face turned red from embarrassment. She had never concerned herself much with things like this, as they were impractical when tending to cows. But, for a brief second she felt like a princess. She walked around to the other side of the table and gave Link a large hug, lifting him off of his feet for a moment.

"Thank you, Link!" she repeated. "You really didn't have to do this."

"Don't mention it," he said, returning her hug before she released him from her grip. At times, he was taken aback by how strong she was, though he supposed it was natural after years of manual labor.

He gazed at his wife from across the table as she thanked him and promised to get him something in return. For a moment, he saw a fleeting image in his mind, but this one was far from troubling - it was wonderful. The two of them were together in a small house in some far-off and quiet corner of the world. Malon cradled a sleeping baby in her arms, humming her favorite song as he sat next to her. Neither of them had a single worry on their minds.

A smile spread across his face. He knew that nothing else would make him happier.

The two Hylians returned to their food as they laughed and chatted for another hour or so. However, as their evening continued on, something struck Link's ears. It was quiet, just barely at the threshold of hearing, but he distinctly heard someone behind him mention his name. He abruptly stopped moving altogether to focus on that lone sound in the noisy cafe.

"That's Link, isn't it?" the person said.

The voice wasn't familiar, and the tone was not similar to the people that were merely remarking on his prominent status in Hyrule. Link narrowed his vision and his heartbeat slightly increased in pace. He tried to see them out of the corner of his eye, but he wouldn't be able to see them without turning around.

"Malon," he said calmly. "I need you to do me a favor."

She had noticed his sudden freeze and listened intently, nodding slowly.

"I distinctly heard my name. I want you to casually look over my shoulder. Tell me if you see anyone eyeing us. Be as subtle as you can."

"Got it," she returned quietly. As nonchalantly as she could, she gazed around the store, taking note of every face. Most of them were at least somewhat familiar to her - it was safe to ignore them. But in a far corner sat two peculiar men eyeing them closely, neither of them friendly-looking. They both wore some rather beat-up leather armor, and sported cold expressions on their pale faces.

Without altering her countenance, she returned her attention to the table, pretending to eat her food some more. "Two men, back left corner. Both of them look pretty pale- one is wearing some sort of dark cloak." She was a bit nervous but was able to successfully hide it. "Never seen 'em before."

"You're sure?"

"Don't know who else it would be. Nobody else seemed to be looking our way."

Link paused before he spoke again. There was no doubt in his mind that they were connected to that foul presence. Part of him wanted to spring up from the table and confront them. He reached for a knife in his pocket and flexed his hands in preparation.

He held himself back before his hand met the knife's handle. _"No... There's too many people here. Can't risk a fight in such a crowded place."_ He disliked the idea of endangering anybody else.

"I think we should just leave," Link finally stated.

Malon kept her vision away from the strange men. "Agreed."

Without making any odd movements, Link left several rupees on the table as the two Hylians casually left the restaurant, pretending to hold a loud, carefree conversation on the way out to mask their suspicion. With every step through the large store, Link was sure to keep his body between the odd men and his wife.

One of the cloaked men scowled at them as they left. He was unconvinced of their nonchalance. "They noticed us."

The other man released a frustrated breath. "Then we'll just have to act now."

They rose to their feet and followed the two Hylians out into the cold air. They kept their distance from the couple and tried to stay in the shadows as best as they could. Motioning to a small group in the distance, several more men began to trail Link and Malon.

As Link heard footsteps behind him, he glanced over his shoulder. In the distance, he could see shadows clearly following them down the dark streets. He scowled at them and brandished his knife. Having left his Master Sword at home, it was all he could rely on at the moment.

"Don't stop," he said calmly. "Just keep moving."

Malon nodded as they went from walking into a brisk jog. They darted down several random streets, not following a straight path to their home. They hoped that they would be able to evade their pursuers, rather than lead them straight back to their house.

As they turned a corner into a narrow street, Link could hear unfriendly voices ahead. "No, not this way," he stated.

They turned from their path and bolted down another avenue. This one was not familiar to either of them, but the dark path was the only obvious way for them to escape. They raced down a narrow alley that they figured would lead them home. However, they found a horrible sight- a dead end.

"No!" Link shouted before clenching his jaw. He pounded his fist on the wall in frustration.

Link's heartbeat began to race even faster than before as he turned about. Directly in their path stood almost a dozen men wielding large swords and knives. Without hesitation, Link placed himself between Malon and the hostile men.

 _"I have to protect her... no matter the cost."_

Malon desperately tried to recall some fighting techniques that she had seen over the years. She knew that her best bet would be to imitate Link's skills as best as she could. Her pulse raced as she clenched her fists and raised them in front of her. The ranch girl had been forced to control unruly livestock with her bare hands before, so she would have to call up that same raw strength again.

"Malon," he whispered, "I'll hold them off as long as I can. Just run to the castle, or to somewhere safe. Don't stop for anything." The men continued to approach them slowly.

"I'm not going to leave you!" she protested, "I can help you! Just-"

"No, just run," he replied, his voice shaking but extremely serious. "Whatever happens, I love you."

"I... I love you too, Link."

Within seconds, the men had closed the gap and sprang towards the two Hylians. With a vicious battle cry, Link charged at one of the men and drove his knife into the man's stomach, sending the foe to the ground. As he withdrew his blade, he narrowly avoided the strike of another attacker, ducking beneath the swing just in time.

As several other men tried to push their way past him to attack his wife, Link backpedaled and delivered a fierce punch into one man's temple, knocking him completely off of his feet. Before he could get into a proper stance once more, two of the larger men tackled him to the ground. He landed on his back hard.

Unconcerned with his own situation, he craned his neck backwards to see his wife punch one of their assailants in the jaw. The man stumbled backwards, surprised that she had tried to fight at all.

Link looked on in horror, realizing that although she might be able to knock one or two out on her own, there were simply too many of them. "Just run!" Link exclaimed desperately.

Malon hesitated momentarily, not wanting to leave his side, but knew that the best thing she could do was find help. She raced away from the crowd as fast as she could, shoving the nearest attacker away.

"Keep going! Hurry!" he yelled.

Link continued to flail in vain to escape their grip, only to watch helplessly in absolute horror as they blocked her path. They grabbed his wife by the arms and began to drag her away.

"No! Malon!" he cried as loud as he could, trying to push the foes off of him.

She writhed about as they pulled her away and out of Link's sight. "Link!"

Enraged at the sight of this, Link gritted his teeth and attempted to summon every ounce of energy he had. "Leave her alone!" he shouted with boiling rage. They silently ignored his protestation, and instead knocked him out cold with one quick strike to the head.


	6. Chapter 5

Link began to shiver as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry as he struggled to get his bearings. As he came to, he realized that he had been lying on a stone floor for some time. There was scant light to illuminate his surroundings, and his head began to throb horribly, undoubtedly from the last strike he received some time ago.

Carefully, the swordsman sat up off of the ground and fumbled around in the stifling darkness, finding only the cold floor beneath him and a wall next to him. As his eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, he inched towards the wall and leaned against it. A few memories slowly returned to him - the last moments of his failed attack on those strange men, and how they had captured him. He couldn't stand it. But the one thing that haunted him the most was the thought of those monsters kidnapping his wife.

He clenched his jaw and balled his fists up in a quiet rage before he released several shaking breaths. Over and over the memory played in his mind, as if it was trying to taunt him for his failure. His body hurt all over and while he wasn't sure how long he was out cold, he figured it must have been several hours at least. There was no telling how far away he was from Castle Town or the rest of Hyrule. Still, his wife's whereabouts and well-being were far more important to him.

He lifted his head and gazed into the darkness. "Malon!" he cried out. It occurred to him that yelling might anger his captors or invite the attention of something even more terrible in the shadows, but he didn't care. "Malon? Can you hear me?"

There was no response, other than the echoes of his voice on the stone walls. It reverberated throughout the small room, again as if to mock his efforts.

"Malon! Are you there?" he tried again. Once more, nothing called back. Already, he began to fear that they may have killed her.

Before he could shout again, several heavy coughs escaped his lungs after the previous exertion. _"If I'm going to find her, I'm going to have to get out of here first... wherever "here" is."_

His stomach churned, no doubt from a serious lack of food and water. He rose to his feet and began to hobble around the wall of the room, hoping to find something other than stone bricks. He ran his hands across the wall but felt nothing out of the ordinary, for the most part. The only thing that disrupted the wall had been a locked metal door, windowless and cold. He felt around for a keyhole or some kind of weak spot, but it seemed to be nothing more than a solid metal slab.

Link stretched his limbs as he prepared to try something drastic. He walked to the other side of the room and took a deep breath. Deep down, he knew that it wouldn't work, but he was going to try anyway.

With a sudden burst of speed, he charged at the door and rammed it with his shoulder, putting as much force behind that small part of his body as he could. He crashed against it hard, sending a harsh sound throughout the room. He recoiled backwards and fell to the ground, not surprised that it hadn't budged. He could continue trying, but that would only exhaust him further.

He remained sitting on the floor, rubbing his pained shoulder. Feelings of shame and fear began to overwhelm him.

" _If we hadn't gone that way... if I was stronger... she'd still be safe..."_

There was nothing to comfort him in the empty room. Left alone with his thoughts, he desperately tried to imagine where she was and why anyone would do such a thing. It took little time for him to come up with a basic answer.

 _"It's because of me. They wanted to hurt her because of me."_ Tears began to well up in his eyes as her words echoed through his mind.

 _"I'm not going to leave you!"_

 _"I... I love you too, Link."_

"I don't care what happens to me... I have to save her," he whispered.

For what seemed like hours, he sat in the same spot and thought of nothing else but his beautiful wife. The entire previous night played in his mind repeatedly. Each time it did, he searched for a way that would have avoided their capture, as though that might help them now.

Malon could be on the other side of the wall behind him, he supposed, or she could be a hundred miles away. It was impossible to know. It haunted him deeply, being unable to help her. He cursed the men who had captured her as he slammed his fist into the hard stone floor.

Looking over himself, he had paid little attention to the cuts and bruises across his arms and legs, undoubtedly there from when he was captured. Many other jagged scars ran across his skin from countless previous battles. He could recall the circumstances of almost every single one, with some of them from many years ago.

 _"They aren't healing as quickly as they used to,"_ he realized. However, there was more to it than that. Even though Link did everything he could to stay in excellent shape, he could tell that he was starting to slow down. His endurance wasn't what it used to be, and he reflexes weren't as sharp as they were years ago. He wasn't sure how much of that was due to his demanding lifestyle and how much was simply the effects of time.

The swordsman returned his thoughts to his current situation. _"Sitting here isn't going to help. Gotta figure out where I am."_

Link made himself as still as he could. He closed his eyes and listened for even the faintest sound, hoping that it might clue him in to his location. It was difficult to focus, his headache still bothering him. To his frustration, several minutes passed, and he could hear nothing but the sounds of his own heartbeat and light breathing. Even the most desolate areas he had seen had some kind of background noise, but the eerie silence here was unnatural. He began to wonder if he had been completely abandoned. To his confusion, nothing struck his nose either.

For a moment, he wondered if he had been brought to the Shadow Temple. He looked around the room some more but recognized that its basic architecture and lack of markings meant that it had little in common with that awful place. It brought him some amount of relief, but it still meant that he had not the slightest clue where he was.

He released a deep breath and focused his attention on the door in front of him. _"They could've killed me easily while I was out cold, but they didn't. Either they're going to do something else to me... or they're going to let me slowly waste away here."_

He steadied his nerves as he did before every battle. Whatever was to come through that door, he would have to be ready.

* * *

The farm girl sat against the stone wall, breathing slowly. She had been awake for several hours, but had lost track of time. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them to her chest, hoping that her skirt might help keep her warm. Rubbing her hands together, she could barely stop herself from shivering.

Desperately, she tried to figure out where Link was. Nothing about the room was the slightest bit recognizable to her, and though she had been to many corners of Hyrule on various deliveries, the men she had seen were not familiar either.

"Link!" she called out. "Are you alright?"

Just as her husband had tried earlier, her shouts produced no answer.

"Link?" she tried again, a bit louder. "Say something if you can hear me!"

As before, her words simply echoed through the room.

 _"Why is this happening?"_ she asked herself for what must have been the fourth time.

Malon was able to remember being dragged away from Link, being blindfolded for some time, and then being thrown in the room with no food or water. Amazingly, she had not lost consciousness during the kidnapping. However, nothing in her memory could explain where she or her husband were.

Truthfully, she had been sitting in the room for many hours, though she had been falling asleep and waking sporadically. Without any sunlight, the passage of time was almost impossible to keep track of in a place like this. As her husband had done, she had searched the room over for any kind of indicator of her whereabouts. Unfortunately, her attempt was just as fruitless as his was. Cold gray bricks and a metal door were all she could find.

 _"Who would do this?"_ she asked herself. _"What would they want from us?"_

No solid answers came to her mind. Link's worst enemies had all been brought down in some form or another. Ganon had been sealed away, and General Tason was under lock and key for the rest of his life. From time to time, Link had mentioned various outlaws that he had dealt with in his more recent travels. It was uncomfortable to admit that he had made many enemies over the years. Still, he rarely spoke of such foes as being much more than a temporary nuisance. It seemed unlikely that any of them could orchestrate something like this.

It was troubling to know so little about their captors. Although she figured that they were probably connected to whatever had been haunting Link's mind, it told her little about who they actually were.

Malon realized that she had seen no sign of their captors since she had been brought here, nor had she been brought any food or water to calm her stomach. Though she had no physical injuries, her body was already growing tired.

 _"Just gotta hang on. Be safe, Link..."_

* * *

Several more hours passed for the Hero of Time. The room was just as silent as it had been before, though his thoughts had only become more frantic. He felt trapped and utterly powerless to save Malon - it tore away at him constantly. He swore that whoever did this to them would regret doing so. It was unlike him to entertain thoughts of vengeance, but if they meant to harm her, he was willing to make an exception.

 _"She never harmed anyone... only a monster would dare hurt her."_

Link's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a metallic sound coming from the door. He jumped to his feet and prepared to leap at whatever walked through that door. He could already feel his pulse pounding harder and harder as the noise continued.

The door had been unlocked. It slammed open with a loud crash as multiple men stormed into the room. They had the same leather armor and dark cloaks that the others had worn, and each of them had a sheathed sword on their belt. They ran towards him with unflinching, cold expressions.

Without hesitating, Link swung his fist at the nearest man's face, connecting with a vicious blow across his jaw. The man stumbled backwards but immediately sprang back at Link along with the others. Before Link could begin to fight them off further, they pinned him to the wall and shackled his wrists and ankles.

"Let me go! Where is she?! Tell me what you've done with her!" he bellowed, flailing in their grip. Without uttering a word, one of the individuals drove his knee into Link's stomach, painfully knocking the breath out of him.

Unable to speak any further, Link was dragged out of his cell by his arms. They pulled him along through several dimly lit hallways, each one almost identical to the previous one.

As long as he was unable to speak or fight, Link took careful note of whatever distinguishing features he could spot, though it was difficult to see much other than some doorways, the occasional window, and a few torches. Much like his cell, both the walls and the floor were nothing more than simple, gray stone.

As soon as he regained his breath, he shouted once more. "Let my wife go! Or I swear I'll-" his statement was stopped by another kick to the stomach. As before, they had knocked the wind out of him.

No matter what Link had said or how much he struggled, the men gave no other reactions of any kind. Despite their stone-faced expressions, Link could tell that they truly detested him in every possible way.

Within minutes, they had brought him into a large, circular room with stone pillars forming a smaller circle within it. Like the passageways leading to it, it was hard to see much. Only one spot in the entire room was lit- a particularly bright one at the very center of the room. The men pushed him into the lit spot and fastened his ankle shackles to a metal hook in the ground before they stepped back into the darkness. He could still feel them glaring at him from beyond the veil of shadows.

Link struggled to free himself from the metal bindings, thinking that this brief time might be his only chance to escape. The shackles remained secure around his limbs, and the hook on the floor kept him firmly in that spot.

Suddenly, a loud series of jeers and laughs came from the darkness. Link stood unfazed by the noise, more angered than frightened. He listened carefully, trying to discern how many unique voices he could pick up. It was difficult to keep count - he wasn't sure if there were five, ten, or fifty.

Link remained mostly silent throughout their insults and verbals jabs. He had heard worse things throughout his travels.

"Get used to those shackles!"

"He's not saying much," one of them remarked.

"Maybe his wife would be a bit more talkative?" another responded.

A fire suddenly appeared in Link's eyes. "Leave her alone!" he shouted at the darkness. It didn't matter to him if they knew they had gotten under his skin - he wouldn't let them speak of her like that in his presence.

Their laughter only grew louder, knowing that they had struck him hard. It had been the only thing that had elicited any kind of reaction from him.

"Go ahead and save her, "hero"! Break your shackles and rescue her if you love her so much!"

Link clenched his fists until they pained him. Summoning all of his strength, he desperately tried to break free from his cuffs, pulling himself away using every muscle in his arms and legs. The sharp edges began to cut into his wrists as he yelled in frustration. No matter how hard he tried, the bindings would not budge.

"Are you sure this is the bearer of the Triforce of Courage?" a laughing voice called out.

"Not putting up much of a fight! Guess he doesn't love her after all."

The insults continued for several more minutes as Link struggled in vain to free himself. With his wrists and ankles beginning to bleed and the rest of his body exhausted, he stopped moving, simply trying to recover his breath. Their voices faded in his mind - they were barely an annoyance now. All he could think of was freeing his wife.

Remarkably, the entire room suddenly fell silent. Link looked up from his position, trying to see past the bright light and into the shadows ahead. To his frustration, he could see nothing. The silence continued for some time before Link spoke up, figuring that it was a decent chance to do so.

"Where... is... Malon?" he asked between heavy breaths. There was no answer. "What... do you want?"

A loud voice responded this time, one that he had not heard previously. "We are the Order of the Desert." The name was not familiar to Link, but it sent chills down his spine. He glared into the darkness before him as the sound of loud footsteps drew nearer.

A figure with short, dark hair slowly stepped into the light. Unlike the others, it was easy to get a look at him. He was covered from his torso down in a suit of armor- one that Link could not recognize. It was a deep gray, with many unknown markings painted across it - it was obvious that he was their leader, judging by his appearance and the fact that they had silenced themselves for him. His sunken gray eyes stared directly into Link's as the rest of his pale, lean face sat still.

"My name is Avalsen. I suggest that you get used to seeing me."

"Can't say I've heard of you," Link retorted, refusing to blink in front of this man.

"I would hope not," the man replied. "That was the idea."

Link turned his head slightly and arced an eyebrow.

"We have intentionally kept ourselves just at the edge of your perception, Link. We have been watching you very closely. While you were out in town, while you were at the theater... That constant gnawing feeling... that haunting presence that slowly tears away at you at all hours... that was us." A toothy grin appeared on his face as he began to walk slowly around the Hero of Time.

Link couldn't deny Avalsen's claim. As dreadful as that feeling had been over the past few days, it felt impossibly intense now, as though he was face to face with one of Ganon's foulest creatures. The green-clad warrior was unnerved by this individual but concealed it as best as he could. He could finally see what had troubled him for so long, but he wasn't sure how to react.

"Make your point, if you have one."

Avalsen rolled his eyes, not believing Link's posturing. "The Order of the Desert has only one objective, Link. To carry on King Ganondorf's legacy."

Link's eyes widened and his jaw fell slightly open. "What? You - you're sick! What kind of madman would-"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you're quite disturbed," Avalsen interrupted him. His tone remained calm, yet brimming with unbridled disdain. "King Ganondorf brought this land to its knees. The chaos, the destruction... there was a certain beauty to it - a beauty that you couldn't possibly comprehend." His grin grew subtly. "Raw power... far beyond that of most individuals."

Link shook his head at what he was hearing. Even the most depraved of Hyrule's criminals would never consider bending their knee to Ganon.

"We served him well during his reign. We were troops, spies... he taught us to embrace the darkness. But since King Ganondorf's death, we have remained in the shadows. Observing. Planning. We could have disposed of you at any time... but we were waiting for the right moment."

"You don't honestly think that you'll rule this land, do you?" Link retorted, the anger visible on his face. "If Ganon couldn't hold on to it, what makes you think you can?"

Avalsen shrugged at his words, not impressed in the slightest. "As long as you are our prisoner, Hero of Time, conquering Hyrule will be easy. You don't actually expect _Zelda_ to stop us, do you?" His tone was particularly scornful upon uttering her name.

"Is that why you've all been cowering in the darkness like rats?" Link shouted, his face twisting into a harsh glare.

Avalsen let out a small chuckle, unfazed by his words.

"Can I ask you something?" Link asked.

Avalsen rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "I suppose. What is it?"

"Do you really think that these walls and these chains will stop me?" he taunted. "I've been through worse."

Avalsen had looked away from the warrior, feigning disinterest. "Hmph. We don't have to restrain you in such a manner. The shackles are mostly a formality."

Link had not expected such an answer. "What are you talking about?"

The man turned back to Link and smiled once more. "We know so much about you, Link. Your mind is sharp, you are in exceptional physical condition, and you are, of course, quite brave."

Link merely watched on, still glaring at the man before him.

Avalsen leaned a bit closer and lowered his tone. "But... we know how to control you. We know what your greatest weakness is, Link."

A commotion suddenly erupted behind Link. He turned about as best as he could to find two large men dragging someone from the darkness. As they stepped into the light, he could now see that it was his wife. His blood ran cold as he saw her awful condition - her expression was vacant, she could barely stand, and her complexion was unnaturally pale.

"Malon!" he cried out, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Link... is that you?" she responded, her vision somewhat blurry.

"It's me, Malon. Are you alright?" He moved as close to her as his bindings would allow, but she was still too far away.

"I'll be fine..." Her voice was weak and she was clearly exhausted. She lifted her head and her eyes met his. "Don't worry..."

"Malon, I'm so sorry! I promise, I'm going to get us out of this!"

The other individuals in the room erupted into another round of laughter, but Link ignored them. Before she could respond, one of the men produced a knife from his belt and held it close to her.

"NO!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the building. "Please... let her go!" His voice was shaking and his body began to shake with fear. He continued to try to release himself from his bindings, but they held firm.

Malon eyed the knife that had been brought close to her stomach. She suppressed a noise and instead closed her eyes, hoping that this was all somehow a horrible dream.

"Please... just let her go. I-I'm the one you want."

Avalsen snapped his fingers, prompting the others to drag her away. Out of fear for both of their lives, Malon did not risk saying anything further. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she was pulled away, hoping that it would not be the last time she saw him.

"No! Wait!" Link protested. But before he knew it, she was out of his sight once again. He continued to struggle against the bindings around his ankles and wrists but became exhausted from the effort and fell to his knees.

To his revulsion, Avalsen began to clap slowly as the laughter dissipated. "My, my, that was even more than I imagined. Such raw emotion! Almost theatrical."

Link shot him the dirtiest scowl he could muster, but he bit his tongue. He would not let any of his insults cause them to harm her further. His head drooped and he was barely able to hold back his own tears.

"Please," he said quietly. "She hasn't done anything. Just let her go and keep me instead. Lock me up... I don't care."

"Predictable," he replied with an uninterested tone. "Every person has a weakness, Link. Some people are physically weak, others are lacking in intelligence or they're consumed with greed. But you... you would do anything for that girl. Your love for her is what will destroy you."

The man became silent for a few moments, watching as Link shook with fear and anger. "We may let her go... if you do exactly as we say."

Link hated the sound of that. "What?"

A smile crossed Avalsen's face once again. "We are going to spread chaos through Hyrule before we seize it for ourselves one day... and you will be assisting us." His eyes narrowed and he let out a small laugh. "Hyrule's greatest hero will become just another criminal. You've already experienced that, haven't you, Link? Life as an outcast... You should be comfortable with it!"

Link stared into the man's eyes. He could easily tell that these individuals were more than prepared to kill her. Just thinking of the possibility made him feel ill.

 _"I can't let her die. I just can't."_ He opened his mouth to speak but stopped short.

Avalsen leaned closer with a sick grin, noticing Link's hesitation. "Yes? Is there something you'd like to say?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even before he spoke, he was already regretting it. "How do I know you'll uphold your end of the deal?"

The leader let out a small laugh. "You don't. But you have no real choice in the matter, do you? I believe you'll accept our offer."

"...Fine," he replied quietly, rather ashamed of himself. The word felt almost poisonous to him, but if this was the only way to help her, he knew that he would have to take it.

"What was that?"

He raised his head and spoke louder. "Fine. I'll do what you want."

"Very good. I thought you'd see things our way. Just remember Link, you are to tell nobody of us or what you are doing. We will be watching. Men, take him back to his cell."

With another snap of his fingers, the others dragged him back to his dark room. He was silent for the duration of the short trip and didn't try to escape this time. They carelessly tossed him into the room and threw a small bottle of questionable water and some scraps of bread in front of him. It was just enough to keep him alive, and not much more.

Link did not move off of the ground and said nothing, instead staring off into space.

 _"She wouldn't be here if not for me..."_ he thought. He dreaded whatever tasks they might have for him, feeling sick to his stomach that he had agreed to do so. He buried his face in his hands and began to sob, unable to handle the thought of his wife dying.  
 **  
** _"Whatever it takes... I have to do it. I can't let her die."_ **  
**


	7. Chapter 6

It had been several days since the last time Link had been before any of his captors. The air was filled with almost complete silence for the entire duration, putting him in a further state of unease. At times, he could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat- it was eerie, to say the least. With no access to the world beyond the walls, they could be listening in on him at anytime, and he wouldn't know it. As such, he said nothing and tried to make little noise, most of the time.

At most, his captors would stop by his room once a day to throw some more bread at him, but they said nothing to him. When they did show themselves, they kept themselves in the shadows, frustrating Link further. If he could not immediately escape, he at least wanted to get a good look at who was holding him prisoner, hoping it might give him some sort of clue. For now, he sat still in his cell without further instructions or warnings, with nothing to keep him company.

The constant dim light was starting to become brutal on his eyes. He wondered if his vision would ever recover. It was hard to keep his mind occupied. When he was up to it, he would attempt some push ups or pace around the outside of the cell to keep his muscles from weakening, though he had to be careful to save his energy.

He had become very fatigued and was scarcely able to keep his eyes open, but he still tried to maintain some kind of sleep cycle. For the most part, proper rest had eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, foul memories would return- how he had agreed to do their bidding and how he had missed them so many times before. But the one thought that hurt him the most was how he had failed to save her.

 _"I let her down..."_

That particular memory would not seem to leave him, no matter how much time had passed. The image came back to him until it was seared into his mind- the man holding a knife mere inches from her. As much as he wanted to forget it, he had to hold onto it. He resolved that no harm would come to her again.

No matter how much he tried to avoid it, his mind constantly wandered to her whereabouts. He did not want to imagine what kind of pain she was in, but the question was always in the back of his thoughts. He had to see her one more time, even if all he could do was tell her how much he loved her.

Link looked upward to the top of his dark cell. He couldn't begin to guess what time of day it was as he fought the urge to sleep. He stretched his arms and began to count the stones in the ceiling for what must've been the third time in the past hour. There was very little else to do in such a place, but he was prepared to engage in such mindless acts for hours on end if it took his thoughts off of darker matters.

"...nineteen... twenty... twenty one-"

His counting was interrupted by the metal door creaking open. As before, a group of men entered and shackled Link's wrists and ankles, though he did not attempt to fight this time. Doing so would only make things worse for his wife, he supposed.

They dragged him back to the large room, still saying nothing to him. It took every ounce of self control he had to stop himself from attacking his captors. Even in his bindings, he thought he might have a decent chance of overpowering them.

As he stood in the bright light of the large room once more, Avalsen appeared from the darkness, his footsteps echoing through the space. A smirk crossed his partially shadowed face as he neared the prisoner. His mere presence filled Link with rage. He imagined himself lashing out at the monster in front of him, but even if his shackles were not in place, he doubted that he'd be able to find her before they did.

Link was unable to see the faces of the other men around him, but he committed their leader's to memory. Cold, lean, and quite pale.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"...Wonderfully." Link stared past him to a random point on the wall behind him.

"How's the food?"

"Delectable." He could still feel a trace of the bitter bread in his mouth. It had probably been moldy.

"Hmph. Fix that attitude of yours and we might consider giving you something better. Wouldn't want you to work for us on an empty stomach. Speaking of which, are you ready for your first task, Hero of Time?"

"What is it?' he asked flatly.

"Well, even a group as powerful as ours requires money from time to time. Lots of it, preferably."

Before he could continue, Link interrupted. "I can speak with Queen Zelda. I can secure plenty of rupees for you. I won't have to tell her about you." He was not eager to hear of whatever proposal Alvasen had- whatever it was, it would surely be regrettable.

Their leader rolled his eyes at Link's offer. "Oh, I'm sure you could, Link. But that's not really the point- that would be too easy. We want you to steal it for us. We know that you are capable of that."

Link recoiled at the idea and was tempted to say no. Of course, the alternative was far worse, so he accepted it. Silently, he promised that whatever he stole, he would return along with plenty mire. The damage could be fixed, and he would do everything in his power to avoid violent confrontation.

"What do you say, Link?"

Link lowered his head in shame. "...I'll do it."

Avalsen smiled widely as the others began to restrain him. "Wait, what are you doing? I said I'd-"

"Yes, we have a deal. But if you're awake for the trip, you might be able to deduce where our base is."

Before Link could reply, the others knocked the swordsman out cold. "Good luck, hero."

* * *

Link cracked his eyes open slowly, his head pulsating from the strike that he had received some time earlier. As the warm sun hit his eyes, he immediately shut them again. It was the first natural light he had seen in at least a week. He was glad to feel it on his face again, but it was of little comfort to him, knowing what task was before him.

He stirred about and shook his head, realizing that he was lying in a small alley, no doubt somewhere in Castle Town. As he peered up into the sky, he could see several buildings stretching above him.

"Wake up," said a gruff voice, kicking him in the side.

Link glared at the man and rose to his feet, holding his side as he did. He shielded his face from the sun some more and struggled to regain his senses. Half a dozen men surrounded him, each of them clearly infuriated at the sight of Link. Were it not for their leader's command, they probably would've just attacked him.

"30,000 rupees. In 2 hours, you will meet us back here, alone." The man handed him a rather dull knife. "Just in case."

Another one of Avalsen's men glared at Link, his arms crossed. "Ensure that absolutely nobody follows you. You have your job. Get to it."

Link gave no response, instead walking away from the group and placing the knife in his pocket. He swore that he wouldn't dare use it.

A voice called out as he left. "Remember, we will be watching."

The swordsman turned about to get one last look at them. To his frustration, they had already disappeared. As he headed towards the main part of the town, his stomach began to turn and he felt a sweat over his entire body. Passing by people he recognized, he had to look away from them in shame. They had no clue why he was there, and he hoped that they wouldn't try to converse with him too much.

A few Hylians greeted him, Link offering sheepish waves back to them. At all times, he visually scanned the area. He couldn't see anyone from the Order of the Desert, but he knew that they were there regardless. The soldiers that saw him on the street offered him salutes, which Link returned. He would have to avoid them at all costs.

He wanted to slow his pace, hoping that something would intervene and magically save him from this situation, but he couldn't count on it. He kept his movements as natural as possible, despite his nervousness. Within minutes, he was standing before one of the larger shops. With his hand trembling, he pushed the door open and walked inside.

The room was mostly devoid of shoppers. Fewer people would see what he was about to do- a small silver lining. The shopkeeper turned from the shelves and lit up as he spotted Link. The swordsman recognized him- he was a rather tall man, with a full beard and a hearty laugh.

"Link!" he exclaimed. "So good to see you! It's been months!"

Link approached him slowly, his face twisting into a frown. He looked over his shoulder several times for anyone that might be watching. The shopkeeper hadn't noticed his odd behavior.

"What can I get for you today? Need to fill your quiver or something?"

The Hero of Time stood before him and took a deep breath. He spoke in a low voice. "Your rupees. I need them all."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at Link and stared at him for a few seconds, but then began to laugh. "Haha! Very funny, Link! I-"

Link looked him in the eye, his expression still twitching. "Please..." he interrupted quietly. "Just give me your money, and I'll leave."

The shopkeeper looked back at him as his smile faded. "Link, why-"

"Please," he said firmly, closing his eyes. "I have to have it." He wasn't sure what else he could get away with saying, assuming that he was being listened to.

"Link, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I have a family to feed."

Link turned his head down. "I know... but please, I _need_ this money." He lowered his voice further, not certain if he was being watched at the moment. "I promise, I'll return whatever I take and then some."

It was easy for the shopkeeper to tell that something else was going on- that Link had not suddenly become a thief for no reason. The pain on Link's face was clear.

The shopkeeper let out a deep breath and walked to the front counter. From a small safe, he produced a bag and pushed it towards Link. The swordsman placed his hand on it and began to feel ill.

"How much is this?" Link asked, his voice shaking.

"About 5,000. Link... what is this about?"

As much as he wanted to, Link could not give him an answer. "Thank you," he replied. "I promise, I'll return it. I'm so sorry."

The shopkeeper remained silent and simply watched as Link left the shop, wondering if he would ever figure out what had gotten into him.

Link put some distance between himself and the shop and took a seat in a quiet spot. It had gone about as well as he could have hoped- but he felt terrible all the same. He was grateful for the shopkeeper's generosity, but such a small sum meant that he would have to disrupt several other stores before the day was over.

* * *

Link had secured another small collection of rupees from a local shop. He had done it so many times already that he had forgotten how many there had been. He desperately hoped that he would be able to remember them all and give them the money they deserved.

Sitting in a dark alley, he began to count the rupees he had. _"That comes out to... 26,251. Almost done."_

It had not gotten any easier for him to take so much money. His stomach continued to churn and he had to hold back tears, particularly after taking money from some of the less well-off shopkeepers. Not a single one of them had rejected his demand. It was rather easy for them to be so generous to the man who had saved their entire land so many years ago.

Link removed the knife from his pocket and glared at it. Its handle was covered in designs that were similar to the markings on Avalsen's armor. He hated seeing it, and he hated how they expected him to resort to violence. He could handle accusations of being a robber, but he would never take an innocent life.

He looked to the sun hovering overhead. Judging by its position, Link supposed that he had less than 20 minutes now before they expected him. He stashed the bags in a hidden spot and made his way towards what he hoped would be the last shop- a store that sold little more than basic supplies.

Stepping inside, he set his sights on the shopkeeper and approached him quickly. This particular man was not terribly familiar to Link.

"Can I help you sir- wait a moment, is that you, Link?""

"Please, I need all of your rupees," Link whispered. "I will return whatever I take. I promise." It was effectively the same thing that he had told the previous shopkeepers. Sickeningly, he had developed a pattern for it over the past hour or so.

The man looked back at him incredulously. "What? Link, I can't-"

"I need the money, sir," he interrupted firmly, scanning the shop for any onlookers. He did his best to keep his face hidden behind his hand. The few other customers in the store paid them no attention.

"It's... it's an emergency. Please, there isn't much time."

The shopkeeper nodded and walked slowly over to the front counter, his body trembling with fear. Though he recognized Link, he was unsure how far he was willing to go. For all he knew, he was actually facing an impostor.

Link followed closely behind the man, still watching for anyone else that might come in. To his relief, the other shoppers were still paying little attention to them. The shopkeeper slowly reached below the counter and pulled out a satchel full of rupees.

"How much is that?" Link asked.

"It's everything we've made over the past week. Should be 4,000 or so."

Link reached into the bag and removed every rupee that he wouldn't need. The Order of the Desert would get 30,000 rupees and not one more. He handed the remaining rupees back to the shopkeeper and memorized the shopkeeper's face so that he would know who to return the rupees to someday.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as he lowered his head, before slipping out the door.

Link slung the satchel over his shoulder and made his way back to the spot as casually as he could. He was simultaneously disgusted with himself for going through with it, but also relieved that the task was almost over. He hoped desperately that whatever else they had planned for him would be equally fixable, but he wasn't optimistic.

 _"They'll probably ask me to steal vital documents next, or something. Maybe they'll expect me to kidnap a military officer, or-"_

His thoughts were interrupted by a shouting voice in the distance.

"Hey! You there, stop!"

Link spun about quickly to find a small group of Hylian guards charging straight at him. For a moment, he froze in place, unsure of what to do.

 _"Someone must've told them. I can't fight them, but I can't lead them back to the others..."_

With his time to decide running out, Link sprinted away from the guards down an adjacent street. He hoped that the rather heavy armor they were wearing would slow them down enough for him to escape. He darted down a narrow alley and vaulted over a low wall that intersected it before the alley divided into two paths. Arbitrarily, he selected the one to his right and bolted down it as fast as he could.

After so many days with minimal sleep and little food and water, he was already winded by the sudden effort. His lungs burned heavily, practically begging him to stop in his tracks. As much as he wished he could rest for a moment and catch his breath, he couldn't risk capture.

His pace slowed as they continued to chase him. As he emerged from the alley, he was immediately spotted by other nearby soldiers. They wasted no time in pursuing him as well. Momentarily surprised, he had to force himself to keep moving.

He knew that he was running out of time, and the path back to the spot was not easily reachable. Looking around, he spotted a series of thick vines growing up a stone wall. It had to be risked. He sprinted to the wall, grasped the vines, and pulled himself up as quickly as he could.

To his relief, he was able to scale the wall onto its roof before any of the vines collapsed under his weight. Regardless, his arms were now weakened as well, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it again. Still breathing heavily, he dashed across the rooftop and leaped across a small gap to another roof.

 _"Just... keep moving. Don't stop... for anything."_

With every step, the bottoms of his feet shot pain through his entire lower body. He could hear the guards chasing him in vain, shouting at him to give up. This was not the first time he had used the roofs to evade people, but he hoped that it would be the last. As he moved quickly, he had to make split-second decisions.

 _"Here goes nothing!"_

The Hero of Time had little time to guess the distance, and instead risked it with minimal thought. He narrowly cleared the gap, his back foot almost slipping off of the edge. With a stumble, he continued on in the most direct path to the meeting spot.

The voices behind him faded further as he went on. Within minutes, he could see the meeting spot. With a daring jump, he leaped from the building and headed straight towards it. To his horror, nobody appeared to be waiting for him there.

 _"Am I too late? No, that can't be right."_

His heart was pounding and he fell to one knee in exhaustion. "Anyone... here?" he muttered between breaths. "I finished."

An unseen person responded. "The money- hand it over." Link removed the satchel from his shoulder and grouped it among the other bags of rupees before he placed it in the center of the alley. A figure stepped from the shadows and began to look through them.

"30,000, it's all here," he said to the others who not yet revealed themselves. He looked back to Link with a cold stare. "Were you followed?"

Link panicked slightly, knowing that the guards were surely still searching for him. "I-I was spotted," he stammered. "But I got away from them. If we leave now-"

"You're certain?"

"Yes, but we need to move."

"If you insist." He rolled his eyes and motioned for the others to restrain Link once more. Before he could move, they struck him in the head. Within minutes, they had all left the scene with an unconscious Link and their small fortune in rupees.

* * *

The air was cold as the farm girl stirred from her sleep. Like the others that preceded it since her capture, it had not been a rejuvenating rest. Malon had taken a spot on the wall furthest from the door, hoping to put as much distance between herself and her captors as possible. It hardly mattered where she sat, as the room was completely empty, other than whatever scraps of bread they had tossed at her.

 _"How long was I asleep?"_ she wondered, stretching her arms. It was practically impossible to know.

She rubbed her eyes and looked around, her sight still blurry. Next to the door, she could spot a bottle- one that must have been left there in the past hour or so. The last time she had tried to stand up, she immediately began to feel light-headed, so rather than try it again, she had to crawl slowly over to it.

The young lady picked up the bottle and immediately frowned at it. It was water, but it didn't look the slightest bit clean. As much as she wanted to throw it at the next guard that walked through the door, she wasn't sure if she would see any more water for a long time.

She studied it further with a disgusted look on her face. She knew that it could have easily been poisoned, but she supposed that it had to be risked in order to avoid dehydration.

 _"Here goes nothing,"_ she thought, uncorking the cracked bottle. Immediately, a foul smell hit her nose, and she wondered what caused it.

Pinching down on her nose, she took a sip. Almost instantly, the water caused her to retch. She spat it out and stared at it in anger, knowing that they were probably laughing at the idea of her drinking it.

The horrid taste lingered in her mouth, demanding that she stop immediately. Still, the threat of dehydration could not be ignored. Taking a deep breath, she pinched her nose again and forced herself to drink the entire bottle. Upon doing so, her stomach immediately began to burn and she wondered if it would make her sick.

 _"Was that... was that from an animal's trough or something?"_ It was easily the worst water she had ever tasted in her life, but if it kept her alive, that was the important thing.

She returned to her spot on the wall and could feel herself drifting back to sleep again. The brief time she had spent with Link in that large room lingered in her mind. They had told her absolutely nothing since her arrival, so she had not the slightest clue as to what Link was doing. The sight of him shackled like that simultaneously horrified and infuriated her.

 _"I just need to hold on,"_ she told herself, trying to stay as optimistic as possible. _"We survived the wilderness, we can survive this."_ Moments later, she had fallen asleep once more.


	8. Chapter 7

The dark prison cell was as eerie and still as it had always been. With nothing to hear except the sound of his own breathing, Link had almost become accustomed to the stifling silence. Hours and days passed by, but he could not even begin to accurately keep track of the passage of time. The prisoner supposed that unless something drastic happened, it might become his home for the rest of his life.

He thought of Malon more than anyone or anything else. But as time dragged on, he found it more and more difficult to remember what she looked like before her capture. The image of her struggling to hold onto life before his very eyes had been burned into his mind. Whenever he managed to catch even a little bit of rest, it had haunted his dreams.

Though he supposed that freeing his wife was possible, Link didn't count on the Order of the Desert ever releasing him. Their hatred of him was deep- no matter what he did for them, they would never let him return home. He scowled towards the metal door. To them, he was detestable for having slain that foul monster that they admired, but they saw Malon as little more than a pawn. She would have been an absolute nobody to them if she had not accepted his marriage proposal. In their view, she would have been just a girl on a ranch, and nothing more.

A small part of him wished that she had said no to his marriage proposal. He would have been devastated, and perhaps they would have drifted apart until they were little more than distant friends. But if that were so, perhaps she would be safe and sound back on her ranch, enjoying the warm glow of the sun on her face as she happily took care of the cows and horses.

 _"She'd never have to fear for her life again. If only I had-"_

Link paused his pessimistic thought and scolded himself for thinking such a thing. Nothing made either of them happier than to be with one another, and he couldn't allow these lowlifes to challenge that. They would be thrilled to see him become so miserable.

The silver lining, if there even was one, was that even if he was never freed, they might simply grow bored of Malon and let her walk out one day. He exhaled deeply and tried to convince himself that it was possible. It didn't really matter to him if he spent the rest of his life there as long as she could return home. Nobody deserved what she was going through.

 _"Whatever it takes."_

In thinking this, he was reminded of the numerous stores he had taken money from. The images of the men and women that he had stolen from flashed in his mind. He frowned and lowered his head, knowing that he had deprived them and their families of what they needed to get by. All of them had been of modest means, and it made him sick to think of how much they would suffer before he could return the money to them, if he was able to at all.

 _"I just hope they'll forgive me. Can't blame them if they won't."_

He glared towards the metal door again. Unable to know where his captors were beyond it, it was the only thing that he could associate with them in the dim cell. He pounded his fist into the cold wall. He ignored the brief pain- it was the only way to unleash any of his frustration.

At the same time, he questioned why they had not just killed him. It would be easy for them to do so- even if he somehow escaped his cell, he was constantly exhausted and he was heavily outnumbered with little to defend himself with other than his fists.

Just as he began to wonder what his next task would be, the cell door unlocked once more. Link stood up with his arms crossed as the guards entered. Once again, they restrained him and dragged him through the hallways to the large room. It was beginning to become more annoying than frightening to him.

"And so the Hero of Time returns," a voice called from the darkness.

Link stood stone-faced as Avalsen emerged from the shadows. The leader's demeanor was grating to him, and he only wished to hear of his next task and get it over with. He desperately wished that whatever they asked of him could somehow be undone.

"What am I doing this time?" he asked impatiently. "Spying on Hylian officials? Kidnapping someone? Sweeping your floors?"

Avalsen smirked at Link's irritation. "I love the enthusiasm, Link. Thank you for the suggestions, though."

The leader's dull armor clanked about as he circled around Link. "No, this time, your task will be much the same as last time. You'll be stealing something... in a manner of speaking. Your first task was easy- a warm up, if you will."

Link rolled his eyes and released a breath. Every word from Avalsen's mouth was insufferable, and he wanted him to just hurry up. The longer he spoke, the less interested he became.

"You see, we have had many people join our ranks over the years. Many of them have gone on to do great things to advance our cause. Others have been... less successful. One of our lieutenants had the misfortune of getting himself captured."

Link narrowed his vision and his face twitched- he already knew where he was going with this.

"You will be breaking into a prison, Link. You will free him, and you will bring him back to a designated spot. Simple."

"And how do you propose I do that?" He assumed that they would give him the knife from before, but beyond that, he expected them to leave him with nothing.

Avalsen shrugged his shoulders. "That's your problem, Link. I trust you'll figure something out."

"You really expect me to break into a highly secure prison with nothing but the clothes on my back?"

"Pretty much, yes. But if you really love your wife, you'll find a way," Avalsen replied with a sickening grin. Link clenched his fists and suppressed the urge to deliver a swift hook to his jaw.

"Don't worry, I have confidence in you, Link." Avalsen continued on as Link seethed quietly. "He is to return to us unscathed, and as before, you are to tell nobody what is going on. Understood?"

"Yes," Link said through his teeth. He already regretted what he was about to do, but he supposed that whoever it was could be recaptured at some point in the future. If it brought Malon one step closer to safety, it had to be done.

"Very good. I had a feeling that you'd agree to do this. My men will give you a picture of him when you've arrived at the prison complex. Have fun."

With those words, Link was promptly knocked out once more and dragged out of the main room.

* * *

Link's senses returned to him slowly as he lied down in some tall grass. As before, when his sight came back to him, his head began to ache from the strike he had taken not long ago. Rising to his feet, he glared at the men around him, who were both amused and impatient with his struggle.

Looking around him, Link was not entirely sure where he was. It appeared to be a far off corner of Hyrule, far removed from Castle Town, Kakariko Village, or any other familiar locales. The prison in the distance was the only building around for miles, with large, open meadows all around it.

"Do you really have to do that every time?" Link asked as he rubbed his temples.

"Stop complaining," one of them replied.

He handed Link the same knife as before, along with a small photo of their lieutenant. Link studied it carefully, noting whatever distinguishing features he could find. Not only would he need to free him, but he would need to remember him well if he was to capture him in the future.

 _"Tall build... roughly in his mid forties... scar under the left eye, probably still wearing that beard."_

Link looked off towards the large building in the distance. It had a tall outer wall surrounding the main structure, which was comprised of several stories. The gates were well-defended, so Link knew that he would have to rely on the guard's trust. With any luck, they would not be aware of his thievery from several days ago.

"Any idea where he is in the complex?"

"No. That's for you to figure out. You have your assignment. You have one day to bring him to us alive." The man was clearly annoyed at the fact that he had to be the one to speak to Link.

Link rolled his eyes and made his way towards the prison. Rather than sprint at it and alarm the guards along the perimeter, he moved casually, ensuring that they could see him at all times. If it appeared that he was hiding or sneaking about for any reason, they would be far less welcoming to him.

His eyes scanned the outer wall- several guards walked atop it, glancing into the lower prison yards and out beyond the walls in his general direction. The nearest guard clearly spotted him, as he stopped his patrol and tried to focus on the approaching man in green.

The guard turned his head slightly towards the nearest gate but kept his eyes trained on Link. "Heads up, someone's approaching from the south," he spoke loudly. The other guards nearby snapped to attention. It was so rare that anyone came this way voluntarily, so they were surprised to see someone now.

"Is he armed?" one of them returned.

"Doesn't look like it. Stay sharp." The men kept their spears ready, still not certain of who was approaching. The men atop the walls prepared their bows as well.

Link closed the gap between himself and the gate. The guards were almost stupefied to see the Hero of Time before them. He offered them an easy grin and returned their salutes.

"General Link? What in the world are you doing here?" the leading guard asked, lowering his weapon.

Link had already prepared an excuse, though he wasn't sure if it would work. "Well, I was hoping that I could take a tour of your prison." The fact that they had not already alerted the others was a major relief- apparently they had not yet heard of what happened in Castle Town.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking... why?"

"I believe that an impromptu inspection is in order. I trust that this building is up to Queen Zelda's standards of security?" Link looked aimlessly at the building, pretending to focus on points of interest.

The guard remained confused. "Well, I'm sure it is sir, but-"

"Then there shouldn't be an issue. Now, may I please see the prison?"

The soldier could sense some impatience in the general's voice and stepped aside. "Yes sir. Of course, my apologies."

"No harm done," Link replied.

The officer turned to one of the other men and spoke hastily. "Sergeant, please give General Link a tour, if you would." The guard complied and walked alongside Link past the outer wall and into the main building. He was clearly unnerved by being in the presence of Hyrule's most famous warrior.

"A-as you can see sir, we are quite well-defended," he began, gesturing to the dozens of guards that patrolled the inside of the facility.

"I see," Link responded, carefully noting the position of each guard, along with the layout of the building. The main room was circular in design, with each cell on the outer perimeter and multiple guards standing at various locations.

"Over here... we have the common area," he said, passing by a gate. It was a large open area on the bottom floor, where several of the prisoners roamed when they weren't required to be in their cells. Judging by the size of the space and by the number of cells, Link supposed that the prison held roughly one hundred men.

Link stopped in his tracks and looked into the area. There weren't very many prisoners walking about, but he could tell that none of them were the man in his photo. A few of them glared back at him, but they couldn't hope to do anything to Link. Not only were they secured behind several layers of iron bars, but none of them were half the fighter that Link was.

"Something wrong, general?"

"...No. Please continue," he replied as they walked away. Part of his attention was still on the common area.

The guard showed Link to a few uninteresting locations in the prison. He gave the swordsman a tour of the administrative rooms, armories, and the like. They did not begin to interest Link. He feigned interest and occasionally asked an aimless question, but was mostly focused on how he would release the prisoner and somehow escape with him.

 _"I can't believe I'm doing this..."_ he thought to himself. He had to remind himself why he was there- his wife was counting on him.

"...And here, sir, we have the prison cells."

Link perked up as they began to walk past the small rooms. Each one was scarcely furnished, with no luxuries of any kind. Every room contained no more than two inmates, and several of them were just as bewildered to see Link as the guards had been. Most of them respected the Hero of Time on some level, but a few were only content to glare at him. Link ignored their dirty looks.

The sergeant showed Link into an unused room and pointed out what few features it had. As before, it failed to keep Link's attention. Little time had passed since he had arrived at the building, but he did not want to waste any more time than he needed to.

After showing Link through the cell, the sergeant tried to walk quickly past the other rooms, figuring that there was little point in staying around them. The prisoners were noisy and the cells themselves were not notable enough to give any more special attention to. Link slowed his pace and observed every prisoner that they passed. The guard was confused at first, but slowed his own pace as well.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

"No, sergeant. Keep going, please." He kept his eyes trained on each prisoner, but none of them resembled the man he was sent there for.

Minutes passed by as they walked past dozens of cells. Link became increasingly unnerved the longer he stayed in the building. The more time he spent there, the more likely he was to slip up and doing something to alarm the guards.

At long last, he found himself in front of the man that he had been looking for. He stopped moving and stood before the cell, staring directly at the Order of the Desert's lieutenant. The prisoner raised his head and returned Link's glare with a subtle smile. He had not been told what would happen, but he knew that Link's presence before him was more than a coincidence.

"Oh, that's one of our more... troublesome inmates. His name is Paran," the sergeant whispered. "Regularly gets into fights with the guards. Been here for almost 10 years." The soldier began to walk away from the cell, figuring that there was little else to add.

"Sergeant, give me your keys."

"What?" he exclaimed, stopping abruptly. "Sir, why would-"

"Sergeant, please... give me your keys. That's an order," Link interrupted, his voice uneven. "I need to speak with him." The prisoner inside began to chuckle to himself.

The guard hesitated but was unprepared to disobey an order from Hyrule's most famous general. He let out a deep breath and handed a key over to Link. He prepared his spear and stood outside the door as Link entered the room.

Link stood in front of the prisoner and crossed him arms. He was disgusted by what he saw before him. He wasn't sure what Paran's specific crimes were, but he knew that he was unfit to rejoin polite society.

"Link, is it? Pleasure to meet you," he said with a laugh.

"I'm here to release you," Link muttered, ensuring that the guard could not hear them. The words felt like a burning poison in his mouth.

"Oh? You're not here to scold me or something? How peculiar." Paran continued to laugh. "I would have thought that you would have just punched me in the face and-"

"Stop talking. I need you to start some chaos in the common area. When the guards are distracted, I will open the gate and release you. Can you do that?"

"No problem, my friend."

Link clenched his fists and turned to the guard, struggling to keep his expression calm. "Sergeant, please take this man to the common area. He needs some exercise."

"Sir, he's not scheduled to leave his cell for another hour."

"Sergeant, please. That's an order."

The guard stood silent for a second, struggling to figure out why Link was making such odd demands. Rather than argue with someone who vastly outranked him, he stepped aside, allowing the prisoner to enter the larger main room past another security fence.

The guard watched the prisoner closely, still unsure of what to make of all of this. For his part, Paran acted perfectly casual, making his way to the center of the room as he had done every time before. A series of iron bars separated Link and the guard from the rest of the prisoners in the common area. Paran took a seat at one of the tables next to some of his fellow inmates.

Link eyed the keys on the soldier's belt and quietly took them, stowing them in his pocket. The guard was so distracted by the inmate that he was completely unaware that he had been stolen from. His hands were shaking and he could feel himself begin to sweat. He desperately wanted to turn back now, to abandon the entire task, but he couldn't.

 _"I have to do it. She needs me,"_ he thought, turning his head downward.

As he looked back up slowly, Paran had turned his stare towards Link, obviously waiting for a signal. Hesitating for a few moments, Link finally nodded for him to proceed.

The inmate flashed a smile before he stood up and delivered a fierce punch to the prisoner across from him. The man reeled backwards and fell over before yelling at his friends to assist him. Paran wasted no time in calling on his own allies to help him in the fight. The guards sat stunned for a second before they whistled for help in breaking up the chaos.

Before anyone knew what had happened, the entire common area was a frenzy of punches and kicks, with several prisoners throwing everything that had not been bolted to the floor. Soldiers struggled to separate the fighting prisoners but failed to notice that one man had slipped away from the conflict towards one of the gates, right where Link was standing.

"How'd I do?" Paran asked with a smug grin.

"Be quiet," Link replied, unlocking the door. "You don't deserve this. I'm only doing this to help someone else."

Paran joined him on the other side of the fence. "Whatever, let's just get out of here."

Link and the prisoner dashed away from the common area as the commotion continued. As they neared the front gate, they had to evade several guards, who were mostly focused on running to the chaos that had just unfolded. Given the size of the fight, they would need dozens of soldiers to restore normality.

Fortunately for Link, the guards were in such a rush to get to the ongoing fight that they had become very loud- yelling orders at one another and clanking about in heavy armor. It was easy to evade them so long as Link kept his ears open and waited patiently for a chance to slip by.

With the guard's set of keys, Link was able to slip through the security gates with little effort- most of them were unmanned or had been abandoned by their guards moments ago.

Peering behind a corner, Link could see the final obstacle- the outer wall. Only three guards remained there to defend the approach into the prison. It would be practically impossible to sneak through the narrow gate in broad daylight.

 _"Might be able to scale that wall out of their sight. Or-"_

Before Link could consider another option, Paran had sprinted straight towards the guards. Naturally, he was unconcerned with evading the guards anymore as Link was. As a matter of fact, he relished the idea of attacking them.

 _"No!"_ Link shouted in his mind as he pursued the prisoner. It was too late, however. Paran had already started throwing punches at the nearest guard before Link could reach them. Though he was able to bring one down, Paran had been pinned to the ground by the two other guards.

Link approached them with a sad look. They did not know why either of them were there, but supposed that Link had been trying to catch Paran.

"Thank goodness you're here, sir. You can help us-"

Link looked at the soldier with a vacant expression. "Release him," he said with a shaking voice. As before, he could barely believe what he was saying.

Paran chuckled as the two guards exchanged incredulous looks. "General Link, what are you talking about? This man-"

"I said release him, soldier. Please... just do it."

The guard shook his head. It didn't matter if such an order came from Link- he couldn't follow it. "Sir, I don't understand why you would ask such a thing, but-"

Link clenched his fists and leaped at the guards, shoving one of them away from the prisoner. The guard fell on his back and stared up at Link in astonishment. This wasn't just their general- it was the Hero of Time.

Stupefied at this, the other guard stood still for a moment before Paran delivered an elbow to his stomach and leaped to his feet. Free of of their restraint, the prisoner socked the guard in the gut and in the jaw before he dashed away from the injured soldiers, laughing the whole time.

Hesitating for a second, Link looked at the soldiers who were staring at him in disbelief. "Sir... why are you doing this?"

The swordsman wished that he could give them an answer. "I'm sorry," was all he could offer before he sprinted towards the rendezvous point. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes already. The shame was overwhelming.

* * *

Link had been returned to his empty cell after his "successful" task. The gray stone walls were cold and gave him no comfort as he seethed with rage. He told himself over and over that he would be able to fix this- that he would be able to recapture Paran and place him back in prison where he belonged.

But part of him knew that that would likely not happen. Paran was enjoying the company of the Order of the Desert, and Link was likely to spend the vast majority of the rest of his life in his cell. Escape was out of the question if his wife was still their captor. All he could hope to do was secure her release. Even so, he knew that he could not trust them, but it was the only chance he saw.

"I'm so sorry..." he murmured. Tears streaked down his face as he thought of the fight back at the prison. The people he had stolen from days earlier- the injured guards- the chaos that Paran would surely create upon his release- he felt ill.

He considered what Avalsen would ask of him next. Just thinking of that name made him shake with frustration. Whatever he demanded next would undoubtedly be more harsh than what he had done before. He leaned back against one of the cold walls and tried to ignore the awful possibilities that ran through his mind.

Instead, he shut his eyes and felt the stillness of his surroundings. He let his thoughts return to happier times- without bloodshed or war. Carefully, he focused on his wife. He could practically see her beautiful face in his memory as they sat together in the sunshine on some spring afternoon, lying down in the tall grass of Hyrule Field.

Her joyous laughter was infectious as they chatted about nothing in particular. The soothing look in her eyes sent a chill down his spine, no matter how many times he gazed into them. He wished that he could embrace her one more time.

For a brief moment, he had forgotten all about his prison cell.

Tucked away in the inner part of the building, a group of men sat down at a large table, which had been covered in some of the finest foods that the land had to offer. Unlike most of the other rooms, this one was well-lit and quite warm. Avalsen sat at the head of the table and sipped a particularly expensive tea. He grinned as the men before him laughed and joked around with their newly-freed ally.

"You have to tell us how you escaped!" one of them exclaimed.

"How many guards did you sucker punch?" asked another.

"Not now!" Paran returned. "This is the first good meal I've had in years!" he said, picking up a piece of meat with his hands.

Their leader was almost annoyed by the noise, but decided to let it continue. He was too content at a time like this to let a loud conversation bother him. Link had done everything he had asked thus far, and he was eager to see how far he could push the young man.

One of the individuals closest to Avalsen turned away from the ongoing conversation and looked to him. "Hard to believe he actually went through with it."

Another man chimed in. "I have my doubts. He may be imprisoned, but he's very clever... very dangerous. Shouldn't we just kill him and be done with it?"

Avalsen shook his head at the man's suggestion. "No. Not yet. We're going to see how far he goes. It should be quite interesting," he said with a sick grin.

One of them waved his hand dismissively. "With all due respect, sir... he's not going to do much more. I don't think he has it in him. There's certainly no way he'll agree to your next demand."

The men began to squabble among themselves. Some of them were convinced that Link would refuse to listen to them much longer and that they should just do away with him now. Others were far too interested in seeing what they could bring him to do.

Avalsen watched on and continued to sip his tea. "That's enough," he said firmly but calmly. The others complied and became silent, focusing all of their attention on him. He slowly set his tea down on the table and stood up.

"You will all get your wish. Link will continue to do our bidding for the time being... he will be a shattered man before he finally faces death."


	9. Chapter 8

The soldier backpedaled hastily, steadying his sword in his shaking grip as best as he could. Flinching for a brief second, he raised his blade to block the next strike that came his way. The force of the blow shook his arms as he stumbled backwards. Regaining his footing, he made a desperate attack against his opponent, but it was deflected with minimal effort.

The young man was unused to facing such a difficult opponent, and he hoped that it would end soon. As he recovered from his failed attack, he was barely able to stop the next attack, instead tripping over himself, finding himself face-down in the dirt. He lied there for a moment, embarrassed at his performance. He turned over onto his back slowly and looked at his opponent as she knelt down next to him.

"Are you alright, soldier?" Zelda said, extending a hand. "That was quite a fall."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I'm alright," he replied quietly as she helped him to his feet. "I'm sorry." He was ashamed to show such a poor performance in front of the queen. So often she relied on people like him to defend the land.

Zelda shook her head slightly, not expecting or wanting an apology. She returned her training sword swiftly to its scabbard. "No need to apologize," she said with a faint smile. "A little more training and you'll do better next time. Thank you for your time."

The soldier offered a crisp salute and walked away with his head drooping a bit. It was not the first time that he had lost a duel to her.

Zelda exhaled a bit and took a seat on a nearby stone bench next to her Royal Adviser. She wiped down her forehead with a damp cloth and stretched her arms slightly.

"Well done, Queen Zelda," Lera remarked with a smile. "I don't think you've lost a single match in days. You hardly broke a sweat that time." She took down a few more notes on Zelda's performance in one of her books.

Zelda began to unwrap the strips of cloth from around her fingers. "Thank you. I'd like to think that I'm getting better, but..." she trailed off before taking a drink of water.

Lera already knew where she was going with this and set her book down. "They're not the same as Link, are they?" None of the rank-and-file soldiers had even come close to defeating her in recent days, and Link was the only one who consistently gave her a real fight.

"I'm afraid not," Zelda replied. "I appreciate how much they try- I truly do. But their inexperience shows. And I can't help but feel that some of them are holding back. They're afraid of hurting me."

On one level, Zelda couldn't believe what she was saying. Months prior, she had little more than some basic fencing lessons to her name. She had made more progress than most people had dreamed of.

Lera thought back to the previous duel. It was obvious that that particular soldier was very nervous. His unease reminded her of her own discomfort when she had first met Zelda. Initially, she was constantly worried about messing up in front of her- making a bad impression. Now, she saw Zelda as a big sister.

"I think you deserve a break anyway, Your Majesty. Perhaps once Link comes back, you can return to your sparring matches."

Zelda took another drink of water. "I guess it is rather pointless to fight anyone other than the best. I suppose I could use a few days off from dueling. It'll give me some time to catch up on some other matters."

"Time off from dueling _and_ Impa's obstacle training," Lera reminded her with a small grin.

Zelda let out a laugh. "If you insist. Sometimes I wonder if Impa is growing bored of that."

Lera paused for a moment and began to think. Now that she thought of it, she realized that she had hardly seen Link at all since Zelda had offered him his vacation. She found it odd that he had not visited in several days, even just to chat.

"Your Majesty... have you seen Link or Malon lately?" she looked to the queen with a hint of worry in her eyes. "I normally see them on the streets when I head home, but I haven't seen either of them in days."

Zelda stopped and shook her head a bit. "No, I haven't... I guess they're just lying low. Maybe they left Hyrule for a few days." She wasn't sure if she believed that idea, given that they had said nothing to her.

Lera scratched her head and tried to come up with another guess. "Maybe they're just-"

Before she could finish her statement, Impa had dashed into the room with a distressed look on her face. "Queen Zelda, there's a problem. Please, we need to have a word." She looked about the courtyard quickly and motioned for them to follow her.

Lera and Zelda glanced at each other before they quickly rose to their feet and trailed behind Impa, not offering any questions. Judging by her demeanor, they both assumed that it was not to be spoken of in front of others. The Shadow Sage led them down several rather empty passageways and opened a small door, leading them inside.

The castle had many rooms that sat empty for one reason or another. This particular one was unlit and full of old books, most of them covered heavily in dust. After closing the door, Impa placed her ear up to it to listen for anyone that might have followed them. Once she was confident that they were not seen, she took a seat across from the others at a small table. In the darkness of the room, she lit a single candle that was sitting on the table.

"Impa, what's going on?" Lera asked quietly. "Is there an intruder?"

"No, thankfully," she returned just as quietly. She looked down at the table and her eyes shifted about. Impa had already thought of how she would deliver the news, but she was still struggling for the right words.

Impa slowly looked up. "It... it's Link, Your Majesty."

Zelda's eyes widened. Though Impa had not told them anything yet, it was easy to tell that the news was not pleasant.

"Is he okay? Where is he?" she asked, barely keeping her voice low.

"We're not sure right now. He was seen a few days ago in Castle Town. He was seen robbing several stores. I actually saw him steal from one myself," She released a deep breath, still amazed that she had to utter those words. "He didn't look like he was enjoying it..."

Zelda and Lera shot each other a look of complete confusion. Zelda moved her mouth to speak but could not form the words at first. "What... what are you talking about?"

"It's not just me, Queen Zelda. Our guards and several shopkeepers have said the same thing. He went to them, demanded money, and left."

Zelda and Lera became quiet, stunned at what they had heard.

"And more recently, he was seen at one of our prisons. He helped an inmate escape. We think that-"

"No, this has to be a mistake!" Lera interrupted, rising to her feet. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"He would never do something like that," Zelda added. "It has to be a..." she trailed off.

"An impostor?" Impa answered. "Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes. I don't want to believe it either, but I know that it was him." She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand.

Lera spoke up again. "Wait a second, what if it's another illusionist, like Esan?"

"Esan is still under lock and key. It couldn't be him. Even so, I would've been able to see through any tricks like that," the Sheikah replied.

"...You're absolutely sure that it was him?" Zelda responded quietly.

Impa nodded her head slowly. "Yes. I'm sorry, Queen Zelda."

"What about Malon? Has she been seen?"

"No... not at all. Very troubling. I have little doubt that there is a connection."

The three each desperately searched for an explanation. The room was filled with an eerie silence, which only unsettled them more. Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, Zelda spoke up.

"I need to go see him. Whatever is going on, I know that he'll talk to me." She stood to her feet and regained her composure. She was just as unnerved as the others, but she did her best to remain calm in front of them. "I'll visit him as soon as I can."

"Are you sure that will accomplish anything?" Impa asked, trying not to sound pessimistic.

"I don't know, but I have to try. Something tells me that he needs my help. In the meantime, I'd like for you to dispatch some soldiers to search for Malon, Impa. Start with Castle Town and Kakariko."

Impa offered a salute. "Yes, Queen Zelda. I'll send them the second I can assemble them."

Lera turned to her friend. "Would you like us to go with you, Your Majesty?"

"...No, but thank you," she answered quietly. "Whatever this is, I intend to handle it myself."

* * *

The farm girl awoke to the same thing that she had seen for several days- an empty, cold room. No warm bed, no nourishing food, and no company. Her eyes were only partially adjusted to the stifling darkness and her skin had become noticeably more pale from the lack of sunlight.

She pressed the back of her head against the wall behind her and her face twisted from the pain in both her stomach and in her head. Over the past two days, she had been given even less food than before- even so, she hardly considered what they gave her to be food at all.

Because of her increasing exhaustion, she did everything she could to remain still. Every ounce of energy was precious, and she did not know how much longer she would have to hold on. If she was fortunate, her cell door could open in the next ten minutes, or perhaps not for several more months.

She could practically feel that whatever strength she had left was leaving her by the minute. Merely raising a bottle of water to her mouth or adjusting herself to sleep more comfortably demanded more and more energy with each passing day.

 _"He's going to get us out of this,"_ she told herself for what must have been the hundredth time. _"Everything is going to be alright."_

No matter how many times she thought that, a feeling persisted in her mind. Even though she had only caught a brief look at him in the large room, she knew that he was in just as much trouble as she was. She wasn't sure what he could do, given the circumstances, but she remained confident in his resourcefulness.

 _"...I just wish I knew where we were,"_ she thought, closing her eyes.

Over and over, she had thought back to that horrible night when she had been captured. She focused on it for several minutes at a time, desperate to derive some kind of clue from anything that she had seen or heard. Nothing stood out to her. They had kidnapped her, put her in some kind of wagon for several hours by herself, and promptly threw her in the cell. They had not even entered the cell, only stopping by to crack open the door and toss some "food" inside.

For the time being, she gave up on that thought. It was rather distressing, and even if she somehow figured out where she was, it wouldn't free from from her cell. The only thing she could do was free her mind.

Malon's thoughts drifted back to her ranch. She recalled the long, sunny days when she took care of the cows or fed the horses. The tasks were simple and predictable most of the time, but the hard work had toughened her and gave her a healthy sense of humility. If there was ever a chore that she struggled with, she would try twice as hard the next day until it was completed. And in doing so, her confidence grew.

Around the ranch, there was always an oddly pleasant smell of hay in the air, and a cucco sounding off in the distance. She could almost feel the grass beneath her feet and see the massive, fluffy clouds floating overhead. She supposed that she had taken that kind of freedom for granted all of her life.

Other memories returned as well. In the evenings, she often sat by the fireplace with her father, reminiscing about old times, or talking about big plans for their deliveries. They had both dreamed of sending deliveries to every single town and village in Hyrule, ignoring the difficulty of doing so. The individual memories had faded somewhat with time, but they gave her a much needed distraction from her current predicament.

Her face twisted into a frown, however. She had become saddened the more she thought of her father. Talon had not the slightest idea where his daughter was. Though he knew that she had gone on vacation, he was undoubtedly distraught by her sudden and complete absence. She wished that she could hug him one more time and tell him that she was okay.

A loud noise came from the metal door, ending her thought. It sounded like someone was pounding on it, but there were no voices to be heard. She moved only enough to get a good look at the door- she would not try to stand up just yet.

Her expression turned to a mixture of irritation and unease. Whatever was on the other side was certainly not there to help her. The noise continued for several minutes, with each pound on the door aggravating her headache more. She rolled her eyes and quietly waited for them to stop.

Suddenly, a voice spoke up, slightly muffled by the door. "You still alive in there?"

She didn't recognize the individual, so she remained silent, instead scowling at the door.

The voice was louder this time. "I said, are you alive in there? Speak up! Oh well, I guess you aren't. Maybe you're not as tough as we thought. Just as weak as your husband."

She still refused to answer. He would not get the satisfaction of a response from her. She clenched her fists in anger but stayed where she was. As much as she wanted to yell in defiance at him, she knew that it would only cause him to bother her more.

 _"Just go away, you oaf."_

The man continued to prattle on with insults for several more minutes. Mostly, he claimed that she was weak and scared, though Malon was less angered and more annoyed, especially after he began to use the same insults over and over. Only once did she come close to losing her composure.

"Hey, do you want to know something, lady? It's about your husband."

She gave no audible answer, but refocused her attention on the door after having turned away from it.

"He's dead. Gave up a few days ago. Didn't even put up a fight to save you or anything."

Malon clenched her jaw and suppressed the urge to yell at him. It was so rare that she lost her temper- there had been only a few instances in her whole life that had filled her with this kind of anger. She refused to believe a word of his statement.

 _"He's lying,"_ she told herself. _"He just wants to get me to lash out."_

The man on the other side of the door was rather taken aback that she had not responded, even to that. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked away from the cell, having grown bored with taunting her and getting no responses.

Malon let out a deep breath and quieted her mind, letting her anger fade. It would not help her now. As before, she lied down on the cold floor and struggled to stay awake through her worsening fatigue. Her body was still wracked with hunger and she had to focus herself to block it out. She was not content for her last fleeting thoughts to be so negative before drifting off to sleep. Instead, she recalled what she could of her time in their home.

Most nights for the two Hylians were spent in each other's arms as they curled up together on the couch. Typically, they talked about unimportant things, rummaged through old photos, or simply enjoyed the other's presence. Their time together was quiet, punctuated only by a sporadic laugh or two. He would drape his arm around her and pull her close as she sat there, both of them embracing the pleasant stillness of the evening. She had never missed that feeling as much as she did now.

Eventually, she was unable to keep her eyes opened and slipped back into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

Link found himself in an all too familiar situation. Only a few minutes ago, he had been taken out of his room by several men, and he was now standing in the same dark room that he had come to detest. As always, a harsh light was focused on him, and he glared into the darkness all around him. At times, he thought he might have spotted something moving about beyond the curtain of shadows, but it was impossible to know if something was actually there or if his eyesight was deteriorating.

The silence in the room had not become any less unnerving. The quietness was unnatural- one that would be out of place even in the most desolate library.

Footsteps could be heard approaching from the right. Rather than turn to look at whoever it was, Link kept his sight forward. He already knew who it would be, and he didn't want to pay any more attention to Avalsen than he had to.

"Your task went well, Link," the man spoke with a smile as he slipped out of the darkness. "I'm sure the guards are still scratching their heads, wondering what has become of their hero. It's amazing what you can bring yourself to do in a situation like this, no?"

"Make your request," Link responded with an edge in his voice.

Avalsen's fake smile disappeared. "Watch that temper. We do not care for impatience."

Link rolled his eyes slightly as the man continued. "This time, we have a very important job for you. It may very well be your last."

Link began to listen more intently. He highly doubted that he was sincere, but he had to take the opportunity. Avalsen noticed Link's subtle eye movements and facial twitches upon hearing his words.

"Ahh, I see that I have piqued your interest. Listen closely, hero. You will be returned to Hyrule with one simple demand: you will kill someone."

"I can't do that," he replied without hesitation. He was not surprised that they demanded this of him. However, this was unlike their previous requests. Money could be returned. A prisoner could be recaptured. Murder, of course, could not be reversed.

Avalsen feigned surprise and looked around. "I think you can, Link." His voice became more harsh as he spoke further. "You've done it before. How many men have fallen to your blade? How many times have you looked someone in the eye before your sword pierced their chest?"

It was true that Link had taken many lives, but it was always in self-defense or for the safety of others. Indeed, he had gone out of his way to use non lethal methods to dispose of his enemies when he could.

"That's different," Link retorted, his voice becoming more unsteady. He knew that what he was saying would not go over well with them, but the idea of drawing innocent blood was completely unacceptable. "You're asking me to murder an innocent. The men I killed were-"

"Were what?" Avalsen interrupted with a smug grin. "Does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters. They were-"

The man cut him off again. "Stop talking, unless you want your wife to perish."

Link bit his tongue as he began to sweat. His pulse raced as he thought of his wife dying before his eyes. He couldn't allow it to happen- he would never forgive himself. Looking down at his hands, he could see that they were shaking almost uncontrollably.

Avalsen leaned closer to the swordsman and lowered his voice. "You do love her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Link returned, staring him directly in the eyes with a scowl.

"Then prove it," he spoke through his teeth. "Prove that you love her."

Link began to shake and his breathing grew louder as he restrained himself from attacking the evil man before him. The leader noticed this and was pleased to see that Link had become so emotional at his words.

"You can object all you want, Link. But we know that you'll do it anyway. That girl is still your weakness." Link continued to glare at him in response but stayed quiet.

"We will return you to your home soon. All you have to do is wait there a little while for your target to show up, maybes a few days at most. And once your task is done, you will bring their remains to us."

He handed Link a small note, telling him where specifically he would have to return to. A dirty grin appeared on his face. "Good luck, Link. We'll be watching."

Link shook with anger but was unable to retort before they dragged him out of the room and back to his cell. For several minutes, he paced about in silence, enraged at their vile plot. His attempts to formulate a plan in his mind were interrupted over and over by his desire to lash out at Avalsen.

The room was quiet, save for his heavy breathing. It was a constant reminder of just how isolated he was. He despised the constant feeling of being trapped- of being utterly useless to save Malon, or to even tell her how much he loved her.

A memory suddenly occurred to him. It was something he had told her only a few short months ago. He had just returned home from a particularly difficult trip, and they were sitting together in a warm embrace.

 _"_ _You give me far more strength than you could possibly know"_ he said. _"I promise, you won't ever have to worry about me like this ever again."  
_  
It should have brought him some peace. It should have been a happy reminder of their love. Instead, the failure stung him.

"And I'll always be here for you,"

Link's own words echoed in his mind, taunting him endlessly. He clenched his jaw and shook his head until he dislodged the haunting memory.

 _"I... I can't let her die... But I can't murder someone."_ He looked down at his hands once again. It occurred to him that no matter what he did, someone's blood would be on them.

Unleashing his rage, he began to pound his fists on one of the stone walls, desperate to find an outlet for his anger. His hands quickly became bloodied and bruised as he smashed the unforgiving wall over and over. He could barely feel the physical pain- instead he was consumed with an almost uncontrollable rage that he had seldom experienced before.

Link's efforts became slower and weaker the more he went on, and he eventually fell to his knees. Still facing the wall, he struggled to catch his breath. As tears began to form in his eyes, his body trembled as he buried his face in his bloodied hands and began to sob profusely.

He hoped desperately that the day would somehow never come or that something would intervene to stop the entire thing. The prisoner experienced not one second of sleep that night.


	10. Chapter 9

A warm breeze drafted through the open window of the small house. Outside, the distant sounds of laughter and music could be heard from the townspeople. The house sat quiet, as it typically did during the day. Under normal circumstances, it would be a pleasant day- perfect for some tea and a bit of relaxation. But as Link sat at the foot of his bed, he had never felt as tense or alone as he did now. He felt as though his life was unraveling before him.

After countless days in their prison, Link had barely taken the opportunity to refill his stomach. Everything he had eaten felt unnaturally stale, and the water seemed bitter. When he tried to eat some of their food, he almost had to spit it out. Even his comfortable bed had been unable to help him catch a decent rest. His mind was far too busy and had caused him to lie awake for the entire previous night.

For the only time in his life, he saw his home as another prison. The Order of the Desert had unceremoniously left him there several hours ago under cover of darkness, not unlike the times that they had thrown him in their cell. To leave his house without obeying their heinous request to spill innocent blood would spell certain doom for Malon. Link covered his face with his hand, barely able to lift his face and see the pictures of him and his beautiful wife all around the home.

As he raised his eyes, he could see a small picture of the two of them on a shelf on the opposite wall. It was actually a rather simple photo- just Malon and himself a few months before they had married, standing together in front of one of her ranch's stables. Almost immediately after seeing it, he had to look away, the feeling of shame striking him deep.

"I'm sorry, Malon..." he muttered. "You wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me."

It was about all he could think to say, and he only wished that he could say it to her in person. He silently berated himself- either an innocent man or woman would die because of him, or his wife would die from his inaction. He returned to looking downward as he eyed the sheathed knife on his lap. He was frozen with indecision, his breaths becoming short and his heartbeat racing.

Even now, he wasn't sure who his "target" was, but it didn't really matter to him. To even consider carrying out the act made him feel awful. He had very little hope left that something would intervene to help him now.

 _"If I did it... even to save her... I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Doesn't matter who it is. I'd have to live with it forever."_

He felt a lump in his throat and came to a realization. If he were to kill someone, he would see them every time he gazed upon his wife, assuming that he even saw her again. Their love would be stained. He would never be able to look her in the eyes again.

 _"What would she say if she saw me like this?"_

Though he did not want to admit it to himself, he became aware of something else. Malon could already be dead, and he would never know it. For all he knew, they had disposed of her days ago and were bluffing the whole time. He shook his head, refusing to fully believe such a thing, but the possibility stuck in the back of his mind.

Time crawled by as he sat in the eerie silence. Minutes seemed to drag on like hours. He had scarcely moved from his spot, sometimes not moving a single muscle for minutes at a time. During the days in his dimly lit cell, he would have loved the chance to sit in the sunlight. But he mostly avoided the rays that peeked through his window now, feeling that the outside world could somehow watch him and judge him if he did.

A light knock at the door caught his attention. Immediately, his eyes widened and his breath became even faster, knowing that whoever was on the other side of the door would have to be his "target". Part of himself demanded that he ignore it and not even bother to look out the window. He couldn't bring himself to remain still, though. He placed the knife in his pocket, lifted himself off of the bed and slowly walked to the door. With his hand shaking, he opened the door. His heart sank at the sight of the person before him.

"Good morning, Link," Zelda said with a happy, albeit concerned look.

"Uhh, hello, Y-your Majesty," he stammered. He could feel himself trembling, and he hardly attempted to conceal it.

The queen was struck by his odd demeanor. Though people were often uncomfortable in the presence of Hyrule's monarch, it was very unlike her friend to behave in such a manner. "Link, I think we need to talk. May I come in?"

Link stood in silence as she waited for a reply. His expression had become blank, barely able to focus on his friend before him.

As she got a better look at him, she was alarmed at the shape he was in- the color had drained from his complexion and the empty look on his face was haunting. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, it was obvious that he had slept very poorly. He had not eaten well either, appearing visibly weaker than ever.

"Are you alright, Link? You don't look so good." She quickly realized how much of an understatement it was.

"It's... it's nothing," he replied.

Baffled by his behavior, Zelda stepped into the house and closed the door behind them. Perhaps, she supposed, he would be less nervous if he didn't think the world was watching him. After all, he had been accused of committing several crimes.

"I don't mean to intrude, Link, but I've got to ask you a few questions," she said before taking a seat at his table. Link followed her slowly before sitting down across from her. As he rested his hands on the table, he could still feel an unsteadiness across his whole body.

Zelda gave him the benefit of the doubt and decided to avoid bringing up the accusations for the moment. "Link, how is Malon? Where is she?"

Link's eyes widened and his face twisted subtly. As he looked at the queen, he could see clear memories of the two of them in his mind. Their first meeting when they were children, their desperate fight against Ganon together- he would always remember them.

He closed his eyes and turned away a bit, attempting to hide from the thoughts. As he did, he could only picture his wife, suffering in some dark prison cell countless miles away.

Link became aware that he had said almost nothing to Zelda and decided to finally respond. "Malon is away for a while," he answered suddenly.

Zelda did not reply for a moment. She didn't buy his vague response and could easily tell that he was hiding something. "Link... please, talk to me. Where is she? What's going on?" She placed her hand on his arm as he continued to say little. "I just want to help you, whatever this is."

"Malon..."

Link began to sweat and he felt as though he was becoming ill. Over and over, memories of Malon appeared in his mind. They were impossibly clear, even after so many years.

* * *

A warm, sunny day in Castle Town- Link had just wandered out of the Kokiri Forest and away from everything he had known for years. This bizarre new place was his first real taste of the outside world, and uncertainty was already creeping into his mind. The large buildings and crowded streets had very little in common with the natural beauty of the forest. He felt truly out of place. Sights and noises that were completely ordinary to the other citizens of Hyrule perplexed and occasionally startled him. For a moment or two, he considered journeying back to the safety and familiarity of the forest, but the matter at hand was far too urgent.

The few people who noticed him could only express amusement at his attire, most of them not giving the young man a second thought. He stumbled through the busy cobblestone paths of the town until he found something different. It was a young redheaded girl, standing among the rest of the people with a cheery smile. Nobody else paid her any attention, but something in his gut told him that he could trust her. He approached her to speak with some nervousness in his walk.

Immediately upon seeing him, her face lit up. She didn't see a strange, naive young man before her- she saw a potential friend. The way she spoke to him, how she smiled- he knew that there was something special about her.

Another memory appeared to him, interrupting the previous one. This time, it was years later, during Ganondorf's reign. The two of them had grown closer since his return from the Temple of Time, and he was resolved to challenge that foul monster soon. As they sat together on some crates in a quiet corner of her ranch on a warm summer afternoon, they chatted away, joking together and enjoying each other's company for hours on end. When Link needed to unwind, this was where he chose to be. Very few other places in the land were as peaceful as that ranch.

However, something had been troubling him for a while- something that he had never told anyone. If there was anyone that he was prepared to speak to, it was her. He knew that she would never judge him, no matter what he said.

Link shifted about uneasily. "Malon..." he began, "I don't know if I can do it." He wasn't sure exactly what she would say, but he knew that there would be no disappointment from her.

Their conversation had been so laid back before now. His sudden change in demeanor caught her by surprise for a moment. "What do you mean?" she replied at first. "Oh... it's about Ganondorf, isn't it?" Just saying his name felt foul.

Link nodded his head. "I... I feel like I should be able to face him without this kind of fear. Part of me... part of me wants to just run away. What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail, and I let everybody down? What if-"

"Link," she interrupted, "there's nothing wrong with being nervous. We all are from time to time."

Link stared at the golden marking on the back of his hand. It was a constant reminder of his duty. "No, it's worse than that. I'm supposed to be stronger than this, but I feel so... weak."

He had looked away from her, but she moved herself to make sure that she could look into his eyes. Whenever he had visited her, he had always seemed so full of confidence. She had not really seen him admit this kind of vulnerability before, but not for one second did she hold it against him.

"Don't tell yourself that," she said firmly, placing her hand on his. "You are not weak."

Link shook his head, still unsure of himself. "I've told myself that, but I'm not sure how much I believe it anymore. I've had so many brushes with death. Triforce or not, I'm just as human as anyone else."

Malon drew herself closer to him and lowered her voice. "If you won't listen to yourself, then listen to me. I know how strong you are. Nobody else could possibly do what you've done. Your fear only exists in your mind."

She tapped him lightly on the forehead with her finger. "It's all up there. It can't hurt you or anything. What keeps you going, Link?"

He paused before he answered. Looking into her eyes, he spoke, trying to suppress some of his uneasiness. "I want to rid this world of evil wherever I can. I want to protect others and stop the destruction."

She gave a faint grin. "Then that's what really matters. Your fears can't hold you back- you are far too determined and strong for that to happen. No other person could even hope to do what you've done. So, if it means anything to you... I know that you'll win."

It was such a simple statement, but he was overwhelmed by her confidence in him, nonetheless. Though he had tried to convince himself of the same thing many times before, it was amazing to hear it from somebody else, especially from his best friend.

"Thank you, Malon..."

He embraced her as he became slightly choked up. She returned his hug as the two became silent. Mere hours later, he would head off to challenge and ultimately defeat Ganondorf. It would not be the last time that his fears would eat away at him, nor would it be the last time that she would be there for him.

A final memory appeared in his mind, washing the previous one away. This was several months ago, but he had thought about it every day.

Link dug his hands into the surface of a rock face and pulled himself up, little by little. It was a tough climb, but he had done it often enough. He was more determined to reach the top of the cliff than ever before. Tonight's climb was different.

Finally, he pulled himself onto the top of the cliff and began to dust himself off. He turned around and took in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. In the dwindling evening light, he could still see a vast expanse of Hyrule that stretched far past the limit of his eyesight, with rolling meadows and astonishing mountainsides. He enjoyed this time of day in particular. A beautiful sunset was before him, illuminating the clouds with a brilliant glow, yet the sky was just dark enough for him to see the stars overhead.

"Unbelievable..." he murmured to himself, looking to the multicolored sky.

He had come to this mountain many times in his life, both as a young boy, and as a man. It was a great way to detach from the world for a few minutes or hours. But this was not really why he had come here on this night. A far more important matter was on his mind.

A young lady stood next to him, also taking in the beauty of the scenery before them. She had only been to this particular spot once or twice in her life, and she was mostly at a loss for words.

"Link... this is amazing," Malon stated. "I can practically see everything from here, even the ranch!"

"Sure is something, isn't it?" he replied, eyeing something in the distance. "A perfect moment," he added under his breath.

Despite the peaceful nature of their surroundings, Link was becoming more nervous with every passing second. As far as he was concerned, everything was just as he thought it would be, but he was almost trembling with uncertainty.

He forced himself to turn away from the view and looked at his companion. The fading sunlight reflected in her long, crimson hair and lit up her beautiful complexion. The swordsman stuttered for a second and had to cut himself off before he spoke too quickly. He knew what he had to say, but no matter how many times he had thought about it, he never felt absolutely confident.

Finally, he spoke. "Malon, I wanted to bring you here to tell you something. I mean... to _ask_ you something." Already he was a bit frustrated with himself for his choice of words.

The ranch girl turned to him and picked up on his sudden nervousness. She had been led to believe that they were about to have a picnic under the stars, as they had done many times before.

"I figured as much," she said with a grin. "What is it?"

Her gaze sent a shiver down his spine. If he hadn't felt tense before, he certainly did now. Nevertheless, he refused to look away from her.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately. About us."

She listened intently but didn't say anything at first.

"We've been seeing each other for a while, haven't we?"

"Yeah, it's... it's been a few months," she returned. "Almost a year."

"This whole thing has just been amazing,"

"Couldn't agree more," she replied.

A brief but heavy silence filled the air before Link continued. "You know how I mentioned a while back... about how we might one day..." He could hardly form the words, even after he tried to slow down. "How we could-" The young man shook his head and decided to get to the point.

Link stood before her and subtly removed a small box from his pocket before he concealed it behind his back. His heart was pounding as though he was in the middle of a furious sprint. Looking into her eyes, he could only grin at what he was about to say.

Malon clasped her hands over her mouth. _"Oh my goodness, he's finally going to ask!"_ She could feel herself trembling slightly, even though he had not said anything else. For months she had been waiting for this moment, and for it to finally be here was overwhelming.

"Malon, we've spent so much time together, and I don't regret a single moment of it. You're far more than just a friend to me, and I know that I'll never find anyone else like you. I love everything about you- your unwavering kindness, your selflessness... I know I'm a better person for having met you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Her eyes became watery as he lowered himself to one knee. He became choked up and forced himself to continue. "Malon, will you marry me?" He opened the small box to reveal a stunning golden band.

"Yes!" she exclaimed without a moment of hesitation. "Of course I will!"

Before Link could say anything, she threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could. Briefly caught off guard, he embraced her in return, the both of them stunned at what was happening. Their minds could barely process everything, and for a moment, they could hardly speak.

"I love you so much, Malon," he whispered as his own eyes became teary. "Thank you... for everything."

"I love you too, Link," she returned, resting her arms around his shoulders. "You're the strongest and bravest man I've ever known. You've made me the happiest girl alive."

They pulled back from one another but stayed in their embrace. They were both still shaking slightly from their almost uncontrollable emotions. With an unsteady hand, Link brushed away a lock of her hair get a better look at her face.

With no further words, they neared closer to each other and pressed their lips together. It was absolutely breathtaking for the both of them. For a moment, they had completely forgotten about the rest of the world, as though they were the only two people alive. Though they had kissed many times before, this time felt even more remarkable. They wanted to pour out their hearts for each other even more, but words could only begin to describe their feelings now.

The beautiful sun continued to dip below the horizon and the cool night air began to set in as they stayed locked in each other's arms. Silently they both swore that they would always be there for each other, no matter what.

* * *

The memory faded in his mind as Link regained his awareness. Some of her words lingered on his thoughts as he looked around briefly.

As he returned his gaze to Zelda's calm blue eyes, he knew what had to be done. It would not be easy, but he was prepared for it now. He stilled his breath as he fully regained his composure. Link reached for the knife in his pocket, grabbed the handle and unsheathed the blade, still looking ahead at her. Her expression had not changed, still full of uncertainty and sorrow.

With one swift motion, Link raised the knife and plunged it as hard as he could into the wooden table, clear away from Zelda's body. A harsh sound echoed through the small house as the table splintered from the strike. Zelda recoiled backwards from the sudden movement, almost falling out of her chair in the process. Link lowered his head, his hand trembling as it gripped the knife.

Zelda shifted her eyes back and forth between Link and the knife. She had been so stunned by the act that she was at a loss for words.

Link shook his head as he began to sob. "I can't do it," he said between breaths, just barely above a whisper.

Zelda leaned closer to her friend. "W-what are you talking about?" she asked, her voice becoming more urgent.

"I can't do it..." he repeated, his voice slightly louder this time. It was impossible for him to kill an innocent person, certainly not Zelda.

Zelda placed her hand underneath his chin and lifted his head until they finally made eye contact. Link finally released his hold of the knife and slumped in his chair, his gaze still empty. He was only half aware of Zelda's presence now, instead mostly thinking of the fate of his wife.

 _"I love her more than anything... but she would never want me to kill someone. I won't stain our love with the blood of another. I'm sorry, Malon."_

"Link, talk to me..." Zelda whispered, her voice becoming unsteady. As he sat silent, she mentally tried to deduce the meaning of what had happened, but came up with no real answers.

Slowly, Link focused on his friend. _"She just wants to help,"_ he told himself. _"There's no point in being_ _silent anymore. As soon as they find out that Zelda's alive, Malon will be..."_

He became choked up, unwilling to finish the thought. "Zelda, I'm so sorry", he began, struggling to look her in the eyes. "They... they wanted me to kill you. But I would never do that, I promise."

"What? Who are "they"? Why would they..."

Link held back a lump in his throat before he tried to explain. "They call themselves the Order of the Desert. They're loyal to Ganon. They want to seize control of Hyrule." The group's name was not familiar to her, but their affiliation with Ganon sent a chill down her spine. She remained quiet, though a look of horror persisted on her face.

Link continued on, regaining himself a little more with each word. "They captured Malon and I several days ago... they're threatening to kill her if I don't do as they say."

"That's... that's awful!" she exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Link, I'm so sorry."

Link lowered his head as he went on. "They had me steal from some stores and break one of their members out of prison... and now they wanted me to kill you," he said, his body trembling with shame. "I'm so sorry. I'm..." he couldn't even come up with words to properly finish his thought.

Zelda circled around the table and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around him. "It's alright," she said quietly, her own eyes starting to become watery. "I know this couldn't have been easy for you."

Link returned her hug. "I just don't want her to die..."

The queen released her embrace but kept her hands on his shoulders. "We're not going to let that happen, Link. You have my word."

"I appreciate it, Your Majesty," he began, wiping his tears away. "But, I don't think there's anything we can do. As soon as they know you're alive..."

Zelda became quiet once more. At first, nothing jumped into her mind. Without either of them knowing where the Order of the Desert was, she would be unable to direct any soldiers to rescue her. Even if they could, they would likely dispose of the farm girl shortly after the Hylian troops arrived.

Suddenly, Impa's training flashed into her mind. Her eyes widened as she thought back to everything she had picked up during her time as Sheik. She stood up and paced about, hoping that it might somehow jog her memory some more. She ran through every training session that she could remember, paying extra attention to the more irregular lessons that Impa had taught her over the years.

After several minutes, she spoke once more. "I have an idea."

Link perked up and listened intently.

"It's an old Sheikah technique, where one enters a deep, trance-like state. They wore camouflage and used the technique to remain as still as a rock for prolonged periods of time. It helped them blend in with their surroundings."

"And you've done this before?"

"Once or twice," she replied, a bit uneasy that she had little experience with it. "I would be semi-conscious during the time, but it would appear like death to the untrained eye. I could get the drop on them when I have the chance."

An uneasy look appeared on Link's face. "Zelda... I can't ask you to risk your life for me. If you... if you died, I-"

Zelda placed her hand on Link's back and sat back down next to him. "Link, these monsters are a threat to all of us. I'm not going to sit on my hands. I didn't let you face Ganon or Tason alone, did I?"

The swordsman opened his mouth to respond but knew that she was right. Without her help, he would not have been victorious.

He let out a deep breath before he spoke. "No, you're right. I really can't thank you enough, Zelda. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Zelda offered a faint grin. "Don't mention it, Link. I'm glad to help you both in whatever way I can."

Link nodded his head and hugged her once again. "They might release Malon if they think I killed you, but they aren't going to free me. I can look after myself, but I don't know what kind of shape she's in. We'll have to find her as quickly as we can."

"Agreed. Once I'm able to, I'll immediately look for her."

For some time, they went over their plan, hoping that what little Link had learned from the past few days would assist them. He went into great detail, describing as much of the building's layout as he could, telling her what the guards might be carrying and where they might be waiting. After he offered his friend everything he knew, they decided that they were ready.

"Good luck, Zelda."

"You too, Link," she returned.

As the light of the sunset began to creep into the small room, Zelda lied down on the couch and closed her eyes, placing her arms at her sides. Link watched with a mixture of confusion and fascination, not entirely sure what she would do.

The room was quiet, and Link could hear that her breathing had slowed down drastically. She made not even the slightest movements as she slipped into a state of semi-consciousness.

Before long, he could no longer hear her breathing or see her body move any more, even when he knelt down closer to her. He placed his fingers on her neck, and was astonished that he couldn't even feel her pulse. He released another deep breath and began to wonder if it would fool them after all, despite how convincing it seemed. As he waited for night to blanket the city, he sat in silence next to his friend.

 _"I hope this works."_


	11. Chapter 10

A rather large man stood at one of the many gates leading to Hyrule Castle. The thick stone walls surrounding the inner fortress stretched far past his eyesight. Normally, he would be there with a large supply of his ranch's famous milk. But he had no cart and no wares today- what brought him here was less pleasant.

He had been there for several minutes already, becoming increasingly impatient with the guards. Over and over he had asked for permission to enter the castle, but every time they rebuffed his request, no matter how much he pleaded. Their visages changed little as the rancher insisted on speaking with them.

"Sir, please don't make me repeat myself again," one of them began, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. The other nearby soldiers kept their attention on a random spot off in the distance, never looking the rancher in the eye. "We can't allow you in unless you have permission from Queen Zelda or-"

"But that's just it!" he exclaimed. "I have to speak with her, sir! You don't understand how urgent this is! She may be in danger!" He clasped his hands together and knelt before the soldier, hoping that the man might recognize his earnestness.

The soldier refused to speak anymore, instead ignoring the man. He was sympathetic to his request, but defying orders to let anyone in without permission was impermissible.

Despite the guard's silence, Talon continued to plead with him quite loudly, sometimes catching the attention of somebody beyond the massive gate. Most of them ignored him as the guards did, as they knew nothing of what he wanted. All they could hear was indistinct yelling.

At the same time, a young girl made her way through the courtyard and towards the castle's library. She had a few more things to take care of before the evening was over.

She sorted through some papers, reviewing through each of them carefully. They were some particularly unremarkable reports, but each one had been quite tedious to prepare, some of them requiring hours of her time.

 _"Let's see... everything looks to be in order. Most of these should be ready by tomorrow. Right on schedule."_

Suddenly, a noise struck her ears as she wandered along. Lera stopped in her tracks and turned towards the gate, initially unnerved by the shouting. She couldn't tell what was being said, so she could only guess that it was a troublemaker of some kind. As other people kept their distance from the gate, she began to listen more carefully.

"Wait a second, I've heard that voice before," she muttered to herself. "Talon?"

She started towards the direction of the noise and sped up her pace as she became more confident that the noise was actually coming from the familiar rancher. She and Zelda had spent enough time in the farmer's company months back to recognize his voice. As she neared the guard's post, she could already guess why he was there.

His face lit up as she approached. "Lera! Thank goodness you're here. I-"

The same guard spoke up before Talon could speak any more to the young lady. "He wants to speak with the queen, ma'am. Something about his daughter. We've told him several times that-"

A brief look of worry crossed her face upon hearing the mention of his daughter. "What are you waiting for?" Lera interrupted. "Please, let him in."

Talon grinned widely but said nothing further, thinking that any further statements from him might hurt his chances of being allowed in.

The soldier turned to the Royal Adviser with an incredulous look. "But ma'am, he-"

"I'm asking you politely, sir. Please let him in," she repeated.

The guard let out a sigh and motioned to the other soldiers to open the gate. With just as much confusion, they complied with his order. Talon wasted no time in running past the soldiers and up to the young lady.

"Oh, thank you, Miss Lera!" he exclaimed, relieved that his persistence was paying off.

"It's the least I can do after you allowed Queen Zelda and I to stay at your ranch."

"Well, I need to speak with her. It's very important."

Lera led him away from the gate and towards the courtyard, taking a seat on a small stone bench. "It's... it's about Malon's disappearance, isn't it, sir?" The sad look on her face unnerved the rancher.

"You... you already know." His head drooped as he spoke. "I've been worried sick for days now... I've looked everywhere I can think of, but I just can't find her. Have there been any rumors about her in the castle? Did she ever stop by or say where she was going?"

"We've heard nothing from her in days. I'm sorry, Talon."

"That's why I wanted to meet with Queen Zelda. I'm hoping that she might be able to help me out." His voice lacked its usual happiness and it was obvious that he had lost sleep, judging by the dark rings under his eyes.

"Sir, Zelda left not long ago to speak with Link. We think that he-" she cut herself off before she went any further. Speaking of his actions would only make Talon more uneasy. "We think that he might need her help. We haven't heard from her since."

Lera still had not the slightest idea what plan her friend had formed with Link.

"Did she say when she would be back? I really don't know if anyone else can help. I tried lookin' for her for days, but I can only do so much. I'd truly appreciate it if some soldiers could search for her as well."

"We've sent several dozen men to look for her. We'll let you know the very second they find anything, sir."

Talon nodded his head tried to contain his emotion. It pained him deeply, having no idea where his daughter could be. He tried to avoid thinking about what horrible thing might have happened to her, but a few unpleasant thoughts occurred to him from time to time.

"T-thank you, Miss Lera. I really do appreciate it."

Lera became quiet, trying to think of another way to comfort him. "Sir, if you'd like, we can let you stay at the castle for a while." She wasn't sure if she actually had the authority to make such a decision, but she decided to make the offer regardless.

"Oh, I couldn't. I have to look after the ranch and..."

"Don't worry sir, we can send a few more people to take care of your ranch while you're away. A little time off might make you feel better while we sort this out." Zelda certainly wouldn't have a problem with it, even if it did mean sorting out some things later.

"I guess gettin' away from the ranch would give me more time to look for her. Thank you, really." He wiped away a tear that had formed in his eye.

Lera was slightly encouraged by the flash of optimism on his face. She offered a faint smile, though she was no less worried about Malon or Link. As Talon slowly recovered his composure, Lera escorted him into the large castle, hoping that Zelda would show up again very soon.

* * *

Link moved about the city as quietly as he could, carrying Zelda carefully in his arms. His arms already ached from the effort, not helped by his lack of sleep. What would have been practically impossible to do hours ago was made slightly easier with the cover of darkness. He had to avoid every light- he would not even risk wandering near the faint light from a window if he could help it.

The streets were mostly empty, with all of the merchants, entertainers and other citizens fast asleep indoors. It was eerie to traverse through the city like this- he felt as though the entire world was watching him, even as he saw nobody. His eyes darted around to every dark alley and around every corner, but there was nobody to be found.

Link had long ago memorized most of the guards' patrol routes and where they were least likely to be. It was easy for him to slip by in the shadows, unseen by anyone.

He looked down at Zelda as he cradled her in his arms. It was a bizarre feeling, to say the least. The swordsman had to remind himself several times that she wasn't dead, despite how convincing it seemed. What really bothered him, more than anything, was that he was about to hand one of his greatest friends over to some of the worst people he had ever run across. If the plan failed for any reason and Zelda was killed, he knew that it would haunt him forever.

 _"Here goes nothing,"_ he thought as he approached the designated spot between some random buildings.

He stood there for several minutes but saw nobody. He became increasingly unnerved, wondering if he had gone to the right spot after all, or if they had never intended to meet him for whatever reason. Part of him demanded that he abandon the plan, rather than risk her life. Regardless, he remained, determined to rescue his wife. In preparation for their arrival, he mustered the most despondent expression that he could.

 _"They might not believe she's dead if I'm stoic about it..."_ He forced some tears out of his eyes to add to the act.

A large man stepped out of the darkness with a neutral look on his face. He looked at Zelda's "corpse" and gave no visible reaction. Link said nothing as the man examined her a bit more.

"You really did it," he said, with the smallest hint of surprise in his voice. "But..." he added before trailing off.

Link hated the sound of that word. _"Did he already figure it out?"_ He tensed up, anticipating a fight.

"There's no blood. Why didn't you use that knife that we gave you?"

Link had not readied himself for such a question, and he kicked himself for not thinking of it. "Ahh, she's stronger than she looks... I slipped some poison into her drink, rather than risk a fight."

The man raised an eyebrow and looked at Link. "Didn't want to fight her? Seriously?"

"You'd be surprised. She-"

"Whatever", he interrupted. "I guess it's not important. Zelda's dead, and her blood's on your hands." A sick grin appeared on his face. Before he could react, another man stepped out of the shadows and delivered a knockout blow to the back of Link's head.

* * *

The Hero of Time awoke slowly, his head pulsating in pain. After so many times, he wondered if he would ever get used to the feeling of it. As his vision returned, he found that he was not in his cell this time. Chained to the floor, he had been brought into the same large room as before. He rose to his feet, his legs wobbling and his body still aching.

Avalsen was already there, standing in front of him with his arms crossed. He wasn't the least bit impressed with the swordsman before him. Link wasted no time in speaking up.

"I did what you wanted... there's nothing more heinous you can ask of me," he said, glaring at the armored man. "I know you're not going to let me leave, but just free her. She has nothing to do with any of this. She's no threat to any of you."

Avalsen let out a chuckle and shook his head a bit. He paced back and forth before Link before he began to speak. "Well, you are correct in that we will not let you leave. You will be staying here for the rest of your days, wallowing in shame. The world will soon know of your actions, and you will be remembered only as a murderer- a traitor to your friend. Still, there may be more that we could ask of you at some point. But..."

The hero's expression became filled with rage at the mention of that word.

Avalsen went on, this time looking Link straight in the eyes. "But we were never going to let her walk away. What leverage would we have if we did that?"

Link began to shake with anger and he tried to force himself free of his bindings, hoping desperately that this attempt would be more successful. Avalsen's words were no surprise to him, but he was furious nonetheless.

"You fell for an obvious lie, Link. What have we said all along?" There was a heavy pause after his question.

"...Well, Link? What have we said?" he repeated, this time with impatience in his voice. He raised his foot and delivered a powerful kick to Link's stomach, sending him backwards to the ground.

Link released a pained grunt but said nothing, glaring at the man that was now hovering over him.

"When I ask a question, I expect an answer," he spat. "Answer my question, if you want her to live."

"...You said that she's my weakness," Link replied through his teeth.

"And now you see why." He became more angry as he spoke further. "Those merchants are poorer. A violent man is now free. And Hyrule is without its leader... all because of you. You really thought we would release her? How absurd."

"I'm no monster. I didn't enjoy anything that I did. All I wanted to do was save her."

"But, you didn't have to do any of that, Link. It's remarkable how... _obsessed_ you are with that girl. Was there ever a moment where you were not thinking of her? What do you even see in her? She's such a simple person- by no means a genius." He smirked at his own words.

"Not much to look at either- very plain. Hopelessly naive, too. I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing the look on her face as she witnesses Hyrule crumble before her eyes."

The sound of laughter erupted through the room. Link had been completely unaware that there were still others beyond the darkness.

Link seethed at him and could feel the metal shackles cutting into his wrists as he tried to reach for Avalsen. He ignored the pain- he just wanted so desperately to silence the evil man before him.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. You're completely depraved!" Link shouted. "It's no surprise that you can't see how wonderful she is."

Avalsen ignored him. "If only you weren't so consumed with emotion. Maybe then your friend would be alive... maybe that ranch girl would be safe, too. You've done plenty of damage to Hyrule, Link. For that... we thank you. "

He snapped his fingers and had the others return the Hero of Time to his cell. As he was dragged away, Link ensured that Avalsen's face was burned into his memory. As he sat alone in his cold room, he could only hope that Zelda's plan would work.

* * *

A lone man drove his shovel into the hard dirt, sweat pouring from his brow. Over and over he scooped up small piles of soil and deposited them to the side. He shook his head and released a frustrated noise. He was annoyed that he had been selected for this task, though given his low rank, there was little he could do about it.

"Can't believe I got stuck with this," he mumbled, tossing more dirt away from the hole.

He had been digging for only a few minutes and was increasingly annoyed that the size of the hole was not getting much larger. His movements became more impatient, which only hurt his technique.

A few feet away, Zelda had been left in a heap, still half-conscious of everything around her. Sounds had become echoes to her, and she could see nothing except darkness.

The man paused and wiped his brow, steadying himself on the shovel. He scoffed at the queen's condition before he resumed digging. "It's a shame you won't be able to see your land crumble, lady. The desert will consume your entire country... just as it will consume you."

 _"Don't count on it."_

Zelda snapped her eyes open but didn't move immediately. She eyed the guard before her, ensuring that he was not about to turn around and notice her. After Impa's lessons, this would be her first real test.

She adjusted herself on the ground, not making any noise as she did so. She placed her palms on the dirt and rose to a crouching position. Taking a brief look around, there were no other objects that could be used, so she decided to attempt something a bit more subtle. Zelda continued to watch the man intently as she rose to her feet and crept up behind him, her movements as silent as ever. There was precious little room for error.

 _"3...2... 1... now!"_

In one swift motion, she wrapped her arm around the large man's neck from behind and locked it in place with her other hand. He began to release desperate noises as he waved his arms about frantically. Zelda maintained her sleeper hold without flinching, even as he tried to kick at her.

Her technique was just as Impa had taught her- the exact placement with the correct timing. Though she certainly disliked the guard, she was not about to kill him when she could simply incapacitate him for a few minutes.

 _"Shouldn't be much longer."_

Gradually, the man struggled less and less until he became limp in her arms. Without missing a beat, Zelda released her grip, causing the man to fall to his knees and flop forward awkwardly next to the grave that he had been digging. Zelda nudged him with her foot, confident that he wasn't feigning unconsciousness. For a moment, she stared at him, somewhat amazed that she had actually done it.

 _"He'll be awake soon. Gotta move quickly."_

Wasting no time, she donned the guard's outer leather armor and wrapped her face with his cloth mask. She examined herself carefully to ensure that no detail would give away her identity. Every inch of her body had been covered, except for a small opening around her eyes. The clothing was rather cumbersome for her to move about in.

 _"Guess this will work,"_ she thought, adjusting one of her boots. She hoped that any other techniques she attempted would not be affected by her bulky attire. To her relief, the man had been carrying a small container of water on him, which she took.

Without further delay, she marched towards the complex in the distance, moving at a regular speed so as not to draw attention to herself. The desert heat caused her to sweat heavily through the leather armor, and she had to fight the urge to dash towards the building to find relief.

From the outside, it was an unassuming building, with only a few windows along the sand brick walls. A perimeter of columns surrounded the building, holding up a balcony that encircled the second story. A handful of guards stood outside and paid little notice to her as she neared them. She was relieved that they had attempted to dispose of her so far from the building- any closer, and they probably would've seen her take down their friend.

Zelda looked around and could not tell exactly where she was, but guessed that it was somewhere far from the Gerudos' territory. The heat was severe, but not quite as unbearable as the Haunted Wasteland. She supposed that the remoteness of the structure allowed them to escape their notice for years.

Stepping into the building, she was met with a blast of slightly colder air. Beneath her was a large red carpet that ran the length of the foyer, along with countless paintings on the walls. To her disgust, almost all of them were of Ganondorf or one of his vile monsters. She still couldn't grasp how anyone would admire such a cruel man. Above her, the arced ceiling looked as though it was cracking and crumbling away, allowing scattered rays of sunlight to peek into the halls.

 _"This place must be hundreds of years old..."_ she thought, wondering what its original purpose was.

Through the darkness, she could see that the hallway branched ahead of her. Her friend had been unable to provide her with any kind of exact directions, so the best she could do was select a path and hope that it led her somewhere close to the prisoners. With no markings to help her, she headed down the left hallway at random.

As Link described, the smaller hallways were scarcely lit and there were few men standing around. Every footstep echoed quite loudly through the corridors, causing her to step more lightly.

She tensed up a bit every time she passed by someone. To her relief, they still paid her little attention, most of them wearing pale, empty expressions. A chill ran down her spine as she briefly considered what awful acts they had done, or were willing to do. She would look away and inch closer to the wall whenever a guard approached, hoping to put as much distance between them as possible.

After wandering without direction for a while, she passed by a guard carrying a small plate of rather questionable looking food. _"Wait... there's no way he would be eating something so foul."_

She turned around and watched carefully as the man proceeded down the hallway, having not a second thought about who he had just passed. Keeping her distance, she shadowed his movements, confident that he would lead her somewhere.

The man continued on down the corridors, never stopping to second guess where he was going. Zelda hoped that nobody that happened to see her would recognize that she had been following him for several minutes.

The guard came to an abrupt stop in a small hallway, doors lining each wall. Zelda briefly ducked around a corner and simply observed. With an irritated look on his face, he unlocked one of the doors, and tossed the food inside, plate and everything.

 _"One of the prison cells... no telling who's inside, though."_

The guard locked the door and began to walk away. _"No, I can't let him escape,"_ she thought, moving quickly towards him.

As she closed the distance, she was able to move without alerting him at first. However, the man abruptly spun around, having heard her move about in the bulky clothing. Initially confused by what appeared to be one of his friends, he backpedaled a bit before Zelda delivered a fierce punch to the man's jaw, sending him onto his back.

Before he could recover, Zelda maintained her momentum and jumped onto the guard, forcing her knees down on his chest. As he struggled to regain himself, Zelda slammed her elbow as hard as she could into the man's head, knocking him out instantly.

Zelda studied the guard for a moment and confirmed that he was actually out. She readjusted her gloves before removing the keys from his hand. She quickly unlocked the door that the guard had previously opened and stepped inside.

She smiled upon seeing the cell's occupant. "Link! Are you okay?" She rushed over to the swordsman, who was still in bad shape- he had not had nearly enough time to recover lately. Initially, he was confused by what appeared to be another guard, but he quickly recognized that it was her, even though he could only see her eyes.

"I've been better. Thank you." He grinned slightly, relieved that his friend had succeeded without being harmed.

Zelda helped him back to his feet before they left the cells. Link noted how amazing it felt to be able to walk around in the building that had trapped him for so many days. It was the closest thing to freedom that he had felt in a long time.

He reached down and picked up the fallen guard's sword, gripping it tightly and inspecting it briefly. It was a simple blade, but one that had not been maintained well- it was long overdue to be sharpened.

After spending so much time in his cell, the feeling of a weapon in his hand had become odd to him. Taking a few practice swings, he stretched his arms and moved on to the nearby cells with Zelda, observing as she systematically unlocked each of them. Each small room was identical to his own, and he could only wonder how many poor individuals had inhabited them before.

To his dismay, each cell they opened had no prisoner, and none of them had a trace of his wife. After opening the final cell, they found nothing, and his head drooped in sadness. He walked into the cell and looked around, placing his hand on the cold wall.

"Nothing... Did you pass by any other cells?" he asked quietly.

"I'm afraid not," she returned as they left and made their way towards another wing of the building. "We'll just have to keep looking. I'm sure she's not far off."

They moved cautiously through another winding series of corridors. Link had seen a little of the complex as a whole, but this particular area was completely unfamiliar to him. The crumbling architecture and general appearance remained the same, but he knew that he had not been there on any of his previous trips to the large room.

Link and Zelda walked quietly through the halls for several minutes, occasionally stopping to duck behind a corner in order to avoid a nearby guard. Luckily, the poorly-lit passageways kept them in the shadows just enough to hide their movements. At all times, Link kept his hand gripped around his sword, ready to attack at a second's notice. He became increasingly impatient, feeling that they had made no progress at all.

Link came to a stop and interrupted the silence. "Zelda, I can't tell you how much this means to me. You're taking a great risk by doing this."

Zelda patted him on the shoulder. "You really don't have to thank me, Link. I'd never abandon you two."

Link became quiet once more. She had already gone out of her way to help him defeat Tason months ago.

"Couldn't ask for a better friend," he said with a grin.

Before she could reply, they heard a sound coming from off in the distance. It was faint, but they could still make out the words.

"Prisoner's escaped! Prisoner's escaped!" the voice repeated to the other guards.

"Find him, quickly!" another called out.

Without missing a beat, the two dashed off towards the sound of the noises, hoping to intercept them before they could warn anyone else. They each ran as fast as they could back towards the cells, not stopping for anything.

Rounding a corner, Link came face to face with a guard. Flinching for a brief second, he brandished his blade and parried an attack that nearly struck him in the side. The guard followed up with another slash, but missed badly, giving Link a solid opening. Swiftly, he cut the man down and moved on, with Zelda taking the fallen guard's sword for herself.

They ran without stopping any further, eventually finding themselves back before the cells once more. However, there were no guards in sight. They stopped moving and looked around desperately, unsure of where they could have headed. They stayed quiet, waiting for the guards to yell out once again.

Suddenly, another series of shouts filled the air. Link turned towards the general direction of the noise and paused with a worried look on his face. It was unmistakably coming from the same room that he had been dragged into so many times.

"It's this way, Zelda! We've gotta hurry!"

Link bolted down one of the dark halls before she could even respond. She could tell that he was not wandering aimlessly through unfamiliar halls- he knew exactly where he was going this time. Not waiting any longer, she followed as quickly as she could, still encumbered by the large armor.

Link's heart raced faster as he neared that awful room. He tightened his grip further on the hilt of his blade and gave no consideration to being spotted by any guard that might pass by. Malon was there- he knew it instinctively.

He dashed straight into the large, circular chamber. Without fear, he stepped into the light and held out his sword in front of him, daring anyone in the shadows to attack him. Turning around slowly, he scanned the area and knew that he was being observed. However, he still couldn't see anything.

"You all had so much to say when I was chained up... Too cowardly to face me now?" he taunted, his voice echoing through the room.

The lights snapped on just as Link finished his question. Momentarily disoriented by the sudden burst of light, he recovered his vision and looked around. For the first time, he could see that the space was even larger than he imagined, with a large balcony along the perimeter and lavish paintings adorning the walls. It now seemed less like a prison and more like a palace.

Then, as he spun around, he saw her. "Malon!"


	12. Chapter 11

A chill ran down the hero's spine as he stared at his wife from across the room. "Malon!" Part of him was amazed that she was still alive, and he wondered briefly if he was hallucinating.

A large guard held her up by the arm and pointed a sword directly at her. He was flanked by a few other men, including Avalsen himself. Their leader smirked at the sight of the swordsman before him and wagged his finger as Link took a cautious step towards his wife.

"Move any further, and she dies."

Link froze in place immediately, unable to take his eyes off of her. Malon slowly raised her head to look at him- even now, she knew he was there. No matter how weary she was, she would still be able to recognize him.

"Malon... I love you." He had been waiting to say that to her in person for entirely too long.

"L-Link..." she began, her voice quiet and uneven. The corners of her mouth turned upwards into a weak smile. "I love you too."

It was a bittersweet sight for Link- the fact that she was still alive was a massive relief, but he had never seen her like this before. Her entire body was weak from exhaustion, and she looked as though she had not slept in days. She appeared very sick, with a tinge of green across her face, undoubtedly from the awful "food" that she had been offered. Link was heartbroken to see what had become of her.

"I'm okay," she muttered, not really believing her own words. As she spoke, she felt lightheaded and could feel herself drifting towards unconsciousness. Her words were barely audible enough for him to hear, and it took a surprising amount of energy just for her to form them.

 _"I'll be alright..."_ she told herself _. "Can't give up..."_ She looked downward to see the blade pointed at her torso. She let out a small gasp but kept her attention on Link.

"Malon... I-I'm going to get us out of this. Just hold on." he spoke as calmly as he could, but his voice was unsteady and he had to hold himself back from rushing towards her.

"I know you will, Link..."

Unbeknownst to the guards, Zelda had found her way into the room. Without drawing attention to herself, she moved towards them, keeping her focus squarely on Link just as they did. She hoped that they wouldn't somehow recognize her face through the cloth.

Avalsen stepped forward and placed himself between Link and Malon. "Even now you're still hopeless. You could so easily attack us, but you can't bring yourself to do it. You won't try anything. We both know this."

A few guards had noticed Zelda as she drew closer to them. Luckily, they were too preoccupied with Link to pay much attention to her. As she stood next to the group, she began to sweat, her muscles becoming tense. There was no telling if or when they might see through her disguise.

Link shot her a quick glance, instantly recognizing that it was her. Zelda inched closer to Malon and tapped her hand on the hilt of her blade before she rapidly shifted her eyes in the direction of the guard that held Malon hostage. It was all the queen could do to signal that she had an opening to disrupt them.  
Zelda watched the others carefully but avoided looking any of them directly in the eyes. A surprise attack would send several of them down in rapid succession. Surely, they would be caught off guard, allowing Link enough time to join her and protect their friend.

 _"Anytime you're ready, Link."_ She had not a shred of hesitancy. Link's swordplay lessons and Impa's tutelage were as clear as day to her.

Avalsen spoke up once more. "Hmph. Stunned into silence. So much for the Triforce of Courage, I guess. Listen to your fear... and drop your weapon."

Link scowled at him and looked down at his arms- they were shaking and his heart was beating faster than ever. Zelda caught his attention and motioned towards the guards, becoming increasingly nervous. The longer she stood there, the more likely it was that they would recognize her.

 _"Come on, Link... I can do it. Just give me a signal..."_

Avalsen began to grow impatient with the hero's silence. "If you want her to survive, you will surrender. Now." There was an edge in his voice this time.

Link glanced at Zelda, who was now a few feet away from Malon. He had to make his choice quickly. Slowly, he shook his head and cast his sword to the ground, sending a harsh crashing sound through the room.

Zelda caught herself just in time before she yelled out. She stared at him in disbelief but maintained her act. They still had paid little attention to her since she entered the room.

 _"I can't risk it..."_ he told himself.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Malon." He lowered his head as a deep feeling of shame began to tear away at him.

The farm girl still struggled to keep herself conscious, only passively aware of what had happened. She looked around in confusion, recognizing only that something was very wrong. She could only make out a few words that had been exchanged between the two.

Avalsen began to smile at the sight, but was unsatisfied. "Good. Now, closer. Stand before us."

Link kept his hands visible as he inched towards the men. He couldn't turn back now. His sword was on the other side of the room at this point- it would be impossible to recover if he had second thoughts.

 _"I have no choice,"_ he thought to himself. _"I can't let her die."_

Zelda watched in horror as he neared the small group. She shook her head a little bit and began to whisper, just below the threshold of hearing.

"No... Link, don't..."

Soon, Link was standing only a few feet from their leader. As much as he wanted to look towards his wife and reassure her, he knew that it would pain him to do so. He had never felt such guilt in his life.

Avalsen let out a laugh just before he drove his foot into Link's torso. Zelda recoiled from the sight as Link fell to his knee and gripped his stomach, struggling to catch just a bit of air. Malon let out another small gasp at the sight before her. Even through her mental exhaustion, she knew what had just occurred mere feet away from her.

Link slowly looked up at the man and seethed at him, but couldn't say anything. Avalsen began to pace in a small circle around Link, interlocking his hands together behind his back.

"What a fool. You allowed that girl to stand in your way again. You should've attacked us. You might have even defeated one or two of us!"

Zelda kept one hand firmly on the hilt of her blade, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Avalsen stepped in front of Malon, ensuring that Link couldn't see her.

He knelt down closet to Link and crossed his arms. "But you couldn't even manage that," he continued, lowering his voice gradually. "How does it feel, to see her before you, and be so utterly useless to help her?"

Link gave no response. He would not get the satisfaction of an answer. To his momentary confusion, Avalsen stepped aside, giving him a clear view of Malon once more. The guard lowered his weapon as well.

"She's right here, Link. Save her, if you can." He spoke calmly, but there was a sick happiness in his tone.

Zelda watched intently, subtly changing her posture to prepare for an attack. The trap couldn't be more obvious, but Link felt obligated to leap out and protect her. This would likely be his best chance. Desperately, he returned to his feet and lunged towards his wife, but not before Avalsen shoved him to the floor and stood over him.

"You will live the rest of your life in shame. Despite your best efforts... her blood will still be on your hands, and Hyrule will descend into a beautiful chaos. You will know what it means to be a shattered man."

Link's eyes widened as the guard behind Malon raised his blade. "NO!" he shouted as loud as he could. Everything around him seemed to move in slow motion as the sword fell towards his wife.

Zelda had readied for this. She took her own weapon and caught his strike before it could connect with the ranch girl. A loud crash reverberated through the halls, prompting Avalsen to spin around in confusion.

The would-be killer stood in astonishment, staring at Zelda for a brief moment. The speed at which she had moved was remarkable. "Who are-"

Zelda pushed the guard's sword away and drove her blade into his torso before he could finish his question. He fell to the ground in a heap as the others struggled to process what had just happened.

Tearing the mask away from her face, she glared at Avalsen and placed herself between Malon and the other guards. She entered a defensive posture, flourishing her blade before them. Malon struggled to remain standing and instead fell to her knees, looking up in bewilderment at what was happening around her.

"Queen... Zelda? Is that you?"

She glanced at Malon with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Malon. We're not going to let you suffer any more."

Avalsen stared at the queen with a fire in his eyes, one that Link had never seen before. "Zelda..." he said, quietly seething. "I did not expect to see you alive."

As the leader was distracted, Link quickly lunged at the fallen guard's sword and picked it up, standing alongside the queen. They surrounded the farm girl as best as they could, the other guards inching towards them cautiously.

"I won't be your pawn anymore," Link spat. "You will pay for your actions. I will personally ensure that. You have nothing to hold me back now."

He turned to Malon and looked her in the eyes. "Stay with me. We're getting out of here," he whispered to her.

She nodded slowly, mustering a faint smile. "Thank... you."

Avalsen rolled his eyes before he looked straight at Malon, stepping closer to them. "Did anyone ever tell you what happened? I think it may interest you."

Link glared back at him and re-positioned himself so that he would not be able to reach her. "Don't think I won't cut you down."

Malon did not answer him, instead trying to ignore the constant pain in her body. She could feel that what little strength she had in reserve was leaving her. Zelda glanced at Avalsen but kept her attention focused on the other men in the room.

"Your husband has been hard at work, Malon."

"Do not utter her name, you despicable excuse for a man." Hearing someone like him mention her name made his blood boil.

He clenched his hands so tightly around his sword that they began to hurt. He would not be able to attack him with his full strength- to do so would leave his wife less defended. It suited him fine, though. A smile spread across Avalsen's face- he knew that he had gotten under Link's skin so easily.

"He's done so much for us while you were imprisoned... You should ask him about it, Malon."

Without warning, one of the men charged at Zelda, swinging his over-sized sword at her. Rather than attempt to parry the massive blow, she nimbly sidestepped the strike. The attack missed her easily and crashed against the floor. Link kept his attention squarely on Avalsen. If he was distracted, even for a second, it could be disastrous.

Before the guard could prepare for another move, Zelda grabbed his sword's hilt and held it down, just before she delivered a swift strike into his torso- a quick and relatively painless death. The man fell to the ground as his fellow guards became enraged.

"Anybody want to try that again?" she asked, pointing her blade down at the fallen guard.

"Can't do much without your shackles, can you?" Link added. "You talk about fear, and yet you have these others do your dirty work. Draw your weapon and face us now." He eyed the sheathed sword attached to the man's belt.

Avalsen rolled his eyes once more and motioned towards the other men. "I don't believe that's necessary."

As they expected, several guards lunged at them as their leader stood motionless. Without breaking a sweat, Link blocked one of their thrusts and swiftly crouched low to evade another strike. His body was fatigued, but it wouldn't be enough to stop him.

He eyed an opening in one of the guard's defenses and seized the opportunity, cutting him down without hesitation. The other backpedaled slightly, but Link pursued him and brought him down as well.

At the same time, Zelda dealt with several men who tried to break through her defenses. Link's teachings flowed through her mind, anticipating their moves. Their stances and their eye movements gave away their intentions easily.

As one guard drew his large blade backwards to deliver an overpowered swing, Zelda caught him by surprise by stepping towards him. He was unable to attack at such a close distance, but the queen took her short sword and drove it into him, sending him to a quick death as well.

Attempting to capitalize on her momentary distraction, another guard released a loud battle cry and tried to cut her down with his axe. Unfazed by this, Zelda blocked his undisciplined overhand strike easily, and jabbed him in his exposed stomach with her fist. Recoiling backwards in pain, Zelda cut him down just like the man before him.

Link and Zelda both stepped backwards, keeping their defense around their friend as tight as they could.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of the other approaching enemies.

"No problems here," he replied with a grin. "We've got this."

Over and over, more foes charged at them with the same reckless attacks that their allies had tried. Each one was brought down in quick succession by the two Hylians. They were of reasonable skill, but Link and Zelda far outclassed them. Even without his shield, the best they could manage were glancing blows on his arms and shoulder. The fresh cuts stung, but they were nowhere near as painful as the thought of losing.

From what little the farm girl could see, it was nothing but a blur of steel and shouting. She wanted desperately to stand up and assist them in whatever way she could, but she knew that she could do little. She gave a faint grin, immensely thankful that they would risk themselves so much to defend her.

The battle came to a brief lull, and Link helped Malon to her feet. Her skin was quite cold, and he could tell that she was close to falling over. He knew that they couldn't simply continue with this battle- she needed help quickly.

"Can you hear me?" he whispered.

"Y-yes..." she said weakly. "Where... where are we?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "We're getting out of here. Just hang on."

He turned his attention to Avalsen, who simply observed them with an unimpressed look. A dozen of his men had already fallen to their swords, but he was unconcerned with them.

Between heavy breaths, Link began to taunt him. "Is this what the Order of the Desert is truly capable of? I've seen bandits with better skill."

Avalsen grinned widely but said nothing. Suddenly, many more men filed into the room. By Link's count, there were dozens of them. He tried to conceal the irritation on his face. Individually, they would be little trouble for them. But they couldn't hope to fend off so many at once and still keep Malon safe.

"Outnumbered," Zelda noted quietly, not flinching. "We can't keep this up forever."

"You're right. Have to make a break for it."

The guards slowly approached them. They noticed how many of their allies had fallen before the two, and were cautious in their movements.

Zelda glanced away from them. "Head for the southern entrance. We should be able to evade them in the halls and escape outside."

Link acknowledged her statement and turned to his wife. "Can you move?"

"A little..." she replied, adjusting her posture. "Just don't slow yourselves down for me."

Link placed his arm firmly around her torso. He would have to fight with only one hand. Zelda readied herself and turned to the others. "I can cover our escape. Just cover your eyes. Ready?"

"Ready," they said in unison.

"One, two... three!"

Zelda shut her eyes and raised her hand, releasing a sudden burst of light. It instantly struck the vision of everyone in the room and sent several guards recoiling in confusion. Link and Malon had shielded their sight from it but were still a bit disoriented after opening their eyes.

With no further delay, they dashed towards the corridor that they had entered from. Zelda stayed several paces behind them, regularly peeking over her shoulder at the pursuing men. Link assisted his wife as she ran alongside him as fast as she could. Every pace she took, no matter how careful, sent shockwaves of pain through her legs.

They left the bright, ornate room and disappeared down one of the dark hallways. It was critical that they remain in the shadows as much as possible. Zelda frantically retraced her steps in her mind as the sound of furious guards came closer. Her eyes darted around the hall, desperate to recognize anything that might tell them where they were.

"Up ahead- down the right hallway," she said.

Link complied and they charged down the dim corridor. As they did so, a lone guard appeared before them, immediately removing his sword from its sheath. Before he could attack properly, Link stepped forward and slashed the man across his torso, sending him to the ground.

 _"Close call,"_ he said to himself. It was awkward to move about with his wife in his arms, but he cared not in the least. He'd carry her all the way back to Hyrule if he had to.

They stepped over the fallen guard and pressed forward up a large staircase, Malon stumbling slightly along the way. She winced as they did so and released several pained sounds.

"Not too much farther, Malon," he assured her as they reached the top of the stairs. She tried to reply, but her voice was interrupted by heavy coughing.

Zelda looked around for a second and pointed to another hallway. With no hesitation, they charged towards it. They could feel the air becoming hotter as they did so.

"We must be getting closer to the exit," Zelda noted.

She looked backwards but could see no men pursuing them. Their angry shouts persisted, though, and she wasn't sure how close their pursuers were. However, she had started to recognize where she and her friends were. She became more and more excited as she gave directions.

"Right!" she said, trying to keep her voice down. "Head left!" she added, hoping that the maze of hallways would help them evade their captors more. For several more minutes, they navigated the maze of corridors, not stopping for anything. They had to ignore the growing exhaustion in their bodies.

Link could feel the air become even hotter. As he kicked down a large set of doors ahead of him, he could finally see the fading evening light of the outside world. He had never been so relieved to see the harsh desert ahead.

"Almost there!" he said, unable to contain his own enthusiasm.

It was not a terribly long sprint to to the exit, but it felt like it took forever. Malon continued coughing and almost stumbled once or twice, but refused to stop pressing forward. She felt as though she might lose consciousness, even in the middle of her running.

At long last, the trio found themselves on the outside of the building, the hot air blasting them immediately. A seemingly endless stretch of sand stood before them, but they did not hesitate to run into it.

The sand gave way beneath their feet as they crossed the large dunes. Every step was difficult, and each of them felt as though they could trip over themselves at any second. It was harder than ever for Malon to keep her footing, but the freedom from that awful building was well worth it.

Without stopping, they charged further and further into the desert. Even with the sun setting, the dry air parched them and caused them to sweat profusely. When they could no longer hear shouting behind them, they slowed down to a stop, deciding that they were overdue for a rest.

Link fell to his knees and carefully laid Malon down. Zelda continued to look around, placing her hands on her knees as she breathed heavily. She removed the armor that she had borrowed from the guard- it would only slow her down.

Link embraced Malon as tightly as he could and placed a kiss on her cheek. He had waited so long to hold her again, and part of him still couldn't believe that she was here. She smiled weakly but was clearly slipping out of consciousness. Her eyelids drooped and her skin was cold, even in the hot air.

"We're out of that awful place. We'll be in Hyrule Castle before you know it," he said quietly. "I'm not going to let you die."

"Thank you... Link. For everything." With those words, her head drooped and she became still. Link shook his head in panic but was relieved to still feel her heart beating against his chest. He sat with her in silence for several minutes. He hoped that holding her would help to erase the foul memories of being locked in a cell.

After some time, he looked up to Zelda. "We can't just keep running without direction forever."

Zelda nodded and wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked at the position of the sun as it began to disappear over the western horizon and turned towards the opposite direction.

"You're right. We should head that way," she remarked, pointing to the east. "How long do you think it'll be?"

Link scanned the horizon but couldn't see anything. All he could do was give an estimate. "Maybe a day or two. I really have no idea," he said with disappointment.

Zelda knelt down next to the farm girl and shook her head. "Do you think she'll be okay? The poor dear... I can't imagine the pain she's in."

Link looked down at her and couldn't guess how close she was to death. "She's... she's strong," he replied, getting a bit choked up. "There's no point in staying here," he continued. "The sooner we're out of here, the better."

Without another word, he rose to his feet and cradled his wife in his arms. Zelda offered to help help, but he declined. It would be difficult to carry her by himself, but Link was more than prepared to do so. The queen led the way across the rolling dunes. It would be a long journey out of the scorching desert.


	13. Chapter 12

The relentless sun hovered high over the wandering Hylians. There was virtually no shade to be found for miles as they trekked across countless dunes. Over and over they climbed up tall hills of sand and hoped to see civilization somewhere off in the distance. Every time, they were met with the same sight- merciless desert as far as the eye could see. Their hearts sank, but they all they could do was press on.

The journey was agonizing for both Link and Zelda, though it was particularly difficult for Link as he chose to carry his unconscious wife across the sweltering desert by himself. He reminded himself regularly that he would do so until they either reached safety or until he could no longer draw breath. Despite her repeated offerings to help him, Link politely declined Zelda's offers each time. She had done enough for the both of them, he supposed.

 _"Maybe... this time..."_ he thought as they reached the top of another dune.

Unsurprisingly, there was nothing in sight other than some random outcroppings. He lowered his head in disappointment and readjusted his posture as he carried his wife. Looking at her, she was still out cold.

They were all getting sunburned rather badly, but there wasn't a lot that could be done about that, other than to cover themselves with whatever extra clothing they had. Of course, given what they had, this only caused them to sweat more profusely.

Link blocked the sun from his eyes with his hand as he continued to observe the arid landscape before him. _"I'm the reason we're here to begin with..."_ he told himself.

Zelda joined him atop the dune and scanned the horizon for any sign of life. Just like her friend, she saw nothing. She removed a cloth from her pocket and wiped down her forehead, which was practically dripping with sweat. After so much fighting and walking, she had become drained of most of her energy, just like her friend. She regretted that she would not be able to assist them with her powers.

"We've been at this for a while," Link stated, still looking off in the distance. "You holding up alright?"

She took a few deep breaths, the dry air hurting her lungs. "Yeah, all things considered. How about you?"

"I'm fine," he replied, ignoring the pain in his arms. "I can handle things, but I'm more worried about Malon."

"I think we could all use a break," Zelda replied, heading down the large dune and towards one of the outcroppings in the distance. Link followed her carefully down the hill, doing everything he could to ensure that he did not stumble over his own feet. As he stepped into the loose sand, it spilled into his boots and made every step worse.

Fortunately, the rock structure was relatively close by, and they were able to reach it quickly enough. The bizarre formation offered some much needed shade for them. Within a few hours, however, they knew that the position of the sun would eliminate what little cover that they had.

The trio hid from the scorching sun as Link gently set his wife down first, giving her the shadiest spot possible. He sat down next to her and simply frowned, not saying anything at first. The soreness in his arms and back was overwhelming, but he was not about to stop just for that.

Thinking back on the distance that he had already traveled, he easily remembered what had happened months ago. Malon had risked her own life to find him in the wilderness, and he knew that she would not hesitate to do so again. He swore that nothing would be able to stop him.

 _"She's never let me down... not once. I will save her, even if it costs me my own life."_

"Has she stirred at all since we left?" Zelda asked.

"Just a bit," he replied. "Once in a while, she opens her eyes for a few seconds, but that's all." He couldn't stand to see her like this, hovering between life and death.

Their shelter from the heat gave them just enough relief for them to recover a bit. Zelda's head ached badly and her muscles were demanding a proper rest. Looking out at the eastern horizon once more, she thought she could see the faint outline of something. While she hoped that it was Hyrule Castle, she supposed that it was more than likely just a mirage.

Zelda found a spot next to them and removed the modest bottle of water that she had taken from the guard hours ago. She held it out to Link, but he shook his head. "No. I'm fine."

The queen stared at him incredulously for a moment. "No, you're not. That's the heat talking. You have to drink something- you're spending more energy than either of us."

"I don't care," he replied. "I'll go without."

Zelda continued to hold the bottle out in front of him. "Link, how are you going to carry her if you've succumbed to the heat? We don't even know how much longer we have to go. Could be an hour... or a day."

Link's body was crying out desperately for even a drop of water. Almost involuntarily, he slowly took it from her and looked at it in his hand for a moment. Every instinct he had told him to uncork it and drink the entire thing. With a shaking hand, he removed the cork and held it up to his lips. Before a drop could find its way into his mouth, he removed it.

"At least I'm conscious... she needs it more than I do," he said, pouring a few drops into her mouth. He wondered how much good it would do, but he knew that every bit counted.

Without another word, he returned it to the queen. Saddened that he would not partake of the water, she took a small drink for herself and returned it to the small pouch on her belt. Link had removed his outer green tunic, leaving a lighter one beneath. With the tunic, he attempted to cool off Malon by fanning her.

"I don't understand why you're doing this to yourself, Link. I know that you want to help her, but this is getting dangerous."

"Of course it is."

Zelda wasn't expecting such a response. "Link?"

Link turned to her with a somewhat vacant look but continued to fan his wife. "You're right, we are in danger. And none of us would be in danger if it wasn't for me." He recognized that his pessimism was getting the best of him, but he didn't care very much.

Zelda shook her head and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Link, please don't say that."

"Why not? If I had been stronger, I would've... I would've stopped them from capturing her. I should have..."

He couldn't finish his remark, instead lowering his head. It was painful to say, but he believed it. Zelda refused to hear of such talk in her presence.

"What could you have done differently? Who else could have stopped them?"

Link wasn't sure if he had a real answer for such a question, but it did not remove the stain of failure on his conscious. As far as he was concerned, if he was able to defeat Ganon, he should never have lost to those untrained men, even if he was outnumbered. He looked away from Zelda and stared off into the vast desert around them.

"If any of us die out here... it's because of me."

"Link, you know that's not true," Zelda replied with some more firmness in her voice. "All of this is because of Avalsen." She glanced at Malon, who was still out. Her skin remained drained of color and she could tell that she would need a lot more water.

"The Order of the Desert is responsible for her suffering," Zelda continued. "Don't blame yourself for their evil actions."

Link remained quiet as he recalled how Zelda and Lera had wanted him to leave his duties in the past. He knew that even if they somehow survived, he wasn't prepared to keep this up forever. Deep down, he knew that his friend was correct- that he shouldn't be so hard on himself. The guilt remained, regardless.

He looked at his wife. A thousand different thoughts ran through his mind all at once. While he normally rejected personal vengeance, he couldn't dismiss it this time. They had almost killed a kind, innocent young lady solely to destroy him. The more he thought of it, the more angry he became.

Without even realizing it, he had clenched his fists and was starting to shake with a quiet rage. He released a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Link slowly returned to his feet and carefully picked Malon back up before he began to walk. "When this is all over... she won't have to worry about us ever again."

* * *

As more time passed with no clue as to where their queen was, panic was beginning to grip the people of Hyrule Castle. Within the tall walls, they had only become increasingly distraught, with all of their search efforts proving to be quite fruitless. With no sign of Link either, they were all beginning to fear the worst.

After another day's worth of searching for her friends with no results, Lera sat in one of the libraries of the castle. The evening sun faded over the far horizon and cast a warm, orange glow across the floors of the large room. It would have been a very pleasant way to end the day under normal circumstances.

The flickering fireplace lit up her bright green eyes as she stared out into the room, an open book still in her hand. She had tried to invest herself in it, but her mind wouldn't allow her to for more than a minute or two. At this point, all it did was make her sleepy, and the words simply blurred together on the pages.

 _"There has to be some place we aren't checking,"_ she thought.

The young lady went through a laundry list in her head of areas that she had personally been to, namely Kakariko and several other villages that were further away. Not one of them had given her any clues.

Her eyelids drooped, but she forced them open. She had been awake for almost thirty straight hours, and she reluctantly agreed to return to the castle upon Impa's advice. If she couldn't be out there helping the others, she supposed that the least she could do was come up with places that they hadn't already searched.

Of course, there were only so many places that she could investigate on her own, and the desert was normally out of the question, even for the bravest of explorers. A small group of soldiers had been sent to search the inhospitable landscape, though they all knew how vast the area was. They could search for weeks and find nothing.

 _"There's another village a few miles north of Castle Town. Wait, we already checked there... twice."_ Her heart sank and she tried to remain focused, but it was very difficult to do so without proper rest.

A large man stepped into the library. Without saying anything, he took a seat across from Lera on a large couch. Lera gave him a quick look, instantly seeing the sadness on his face. It told her everything she needed to know- his search had not gone any better.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. "Good evening, Mister Talon. I don't suppose you uncovered anything?"

The rancher didn't shift his gaze towards her, instead looking off in the distance. "Nothing. So many hours and I still have nothing to show for it..."

The grief in his voice was overwhelming, but he tried to keep a straight face. Lera looked towards the ground. Both of them were plenty worried about all three of the missing Hylians, but she couldn't imagine the special kind of pain of losing a daughter.

"I... I'm so very sorry, Mister Talon. I assure you, we're doing everything we can." She wasn't sure what else she could say. She doubted that it would bring him much comfort.

"I know," he replied quietly. "Malon... all of them... they just disappeared." His breathing became a bit louder as he tried to hold back his own tears. "Why?"

He wasn't expecting an answer, nor was Lera able to offer him one. Talon had been made aware of Zelda's visit with Link a little while ago, but it only confused him more.

"I just want to see my little girl again..." he continued, his voice becoming uneven. "Her mother is gone... she's the only family I have left." He buried his face in his hands and began to cry freely.

Lera sat down next to the rancher and patted him on the back. It was difficult for her to hold back her own tears. "Sir... I may not know where she is, but we both know that she's a strong young lady. She survived Gattel, didn't she?"

"Yes, but... I just have this awful feeling. I'm afraid that something terrible happened to her... and to Link and Queen Zelda. Link may be an adventurer, but Zelda..."

The same troubling thoughts had certainly eaten away at Lera for hours, almost without stopping. She became quiet for a second before she spoke again. "Mister Talon, you remember when Zelda and I took shelter at your ranch a few months back, right?"

"Of course I do. Y'all were a great help to us. I was happy to do it."

"Right. We had to survive Death Mountain just to make it that far."

A flash of surprise crossed his mustached face. "What? Are you serious?"

"Absolutely, sir. Took us more than a few hours."

Talon was at a loss for words. "That's remarkable..." Though Lera and Zelda had told him about the coup, they hadn't bothered to tell him the details of their journey through that blistering volcano.

"She never gave up. And she was right there alongside Link when they faced Ganon. They stared down one of the greatest evils this world has ever seen. If she can get through that, she can get through anything. I'm convinced of that."

"You're... you're right. I shouldn't underestimate her."

Lera offered a faint smile. "And I know that your daughter is just as strong as she is. She doesn't have to be a warrior or a queen to endure whatever she's going through."

He wiped a tear from his eye. "You're right," he repeated. "She's going to be okay." His voice was unsteady, but he was more confident than ever before. "I just wish I knew where she was."

"Well, rest assured, we're not giving up until we find them, sir. We'll have soldiers searching throughout the night."

Talon nodded his head a bit. "I really can't thank you for all of your help, Miss Lera. I don't think I'd ever be able to find her by myself."

"Don't worry about it, sir. We're glad to help." She stood up and helped him up off of the couch. "Supper should be ready shortly. You're welcome to join us in the dining hall."

"Maybe some other time," he replied, his voice still uneasy. "Think I've got a few chores to take care of. Thank you, though."

The rancher stepped out of the library, but he hesitated before he walked away.

"Oh, take the left corridor, sir," Lera said, figuring that he was uncertain of the maze of hallways before him. "Make another left at the armory. That hall should take you to the southern courtyard. That's the quickest exit."

"Wait a second," he replied in a hushed tone. "I hear something. Sounds like shouting."

It was uncommon for there to be much of a commotion in this part of the castle. Lera jogged towards the hallway and listened closely for whatever had caught his attention. Sure enough, there was a loud noise approaching from nearby. Glancing at each other briefly, they sprinted towards it, with not the slightest clue of what it could be.

As they rushed towards the noise, the sounds became louder and more discernible. "Whatever it is, it doesn't sound pleasant," Lera noted. The shouting was distressed and didn't remind her of any of the joyous parties that had been held in the castle before.

"It's just beyond that door!" Talon said, rounding a corner with Lera following close behind.

Lera threw open a pair of large wooden doors that led to another hallway. Before they could say anything, a dense crowd of soldiers rushed past them, almost knocking them down. Lera reeled backwards against a wall and stared at them in confusion.

"What in the world was that?" She couldn't tell what they were shouting about, nor could she see what they were crowding around, though it looked like they were carrying several people.

One of the soldiers doubled back upon noticing her. "M-my apologies, Miss Lera," he said, offering a slight bow.

"No harm done," she replied. "What's going on? What are they doing?"

"It's- it's Queen Zelda, she's returned!" he answered, barely able to hold his excitement.

Their faces lit up at his words and their mouths fell agape. Wasting no more time, they gave chase to the crowd of soldiers as they pressed on through the halls.

"I can't believe it!" Talon exclaimed.

"This is wonderful news!" Lera added, still running after them. "Where did they find her?"

The soldier could barely keep up with them in his heavy armor. "She was spotted on the outskirts of the desert a few hours ago with Link and someone else."

Lera almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. As she caught up to the group ahead of her, she found them huddled in a large room. This particular room was one that she rarely found herself in, where doctors would normally take care of the sick.

"Stand aside!" one of the soldiers called out as he noticed the approaching Royal Adviser. The guards complied and cleared a space for the young lady and the rancher, though they were still eyeing their exhausted queen very closely. None of them had ever seen her in the shape she was in.

Lera stood in astonishment at the sight before her. Zelda sat upright in one of the beds, with Link and Malon occupying two other beds nearby, both of them very drained as well. The large rancher shoved his way through the guards with the same strength that he often saved for dealing with unruly horses. He sat down next to Malon and began to sob, partially out of happiness.

"My little girl!" The sight of her in such terrible shape was almost unbearable to him. "Can you hear me?"

She opened her eyes slowly and struggled to focus on her father. "Dad? Is that you?" Her vision was blurry and her head ached horrendously.

"I-it's me," he replied with a smile, grasping her hand. "You're gonna be alright."

She gave no audible response but instead offered a faint grin. Every noise above a whisper only made her headache worse, but she was more than happy to see her father. Before she could say anything further, she slipped into unconsciousness, much to Talon's alarm. "Somebody, please hurry! She needs help now!"

Several soldiers had already been running about, frantically collecting medicine and water, though Talon wished that they would move faster.

The other guards crowded around their queen. One of the lieutenants spoke first. "What happened, Your Majesty? We were so worried."

"Are you injured, My Queen?" another asked. A crowd of onlookers was beginning to form outside of the room, prompting some of the soldiers to shoo them away.

Zelda shook her head. "No, no..." she replied, interrupted by her heavy breathing. "I'll be alright. Just some water, please. Lots of it." She and the others had already been given plenty of it when they were found in the desert, but she knew that they would need every drop they could get their hands on.

Half of the guards dashed out of the room. Several of them tripped over themselves in their rush.

The queen turned to her two friends. "They need far more care than I do," she added. "Get them whatever they need- water, medicine, anything you can find."

The rest of the guards obeyed her order and began to turn the room upside down in search of supplies. As they did so, Lera approached her and sat next to her bed. She was still astonished at the sight before them and ignored the activity around her.

"It's such a relief to see you again, Your Majesty. Are you alright?"

"Good to see you too. Don't worry too much about me. A few days of rest and I'll be good as new." A soldier gave her a large container of water, which she didn't hesitate to consume. For a while, she wasn't sure if she'd ever have some again.

"What about Malon and Link?" Lera asked, a look of horror crossing her young face. "What on earth happened?"

"I'll explain later. We've been through a lot, but I think they'll be alright," Zelda replied, trying to mentally block out the pain in her body. She lied back in her bed and took another generous drink of water.

Lera released a deep breath, turning towards the door as several doctors rushed into the room. Before she or the rancher could ask any more questions, they would have to wait. Reluctantly, Talon and Lera stood aside as the doctors tended to their wounded friends. In a flurry of motion, they began feeding various potent medicines to them and assessing their other injuries. It would be a long recovery for all of them.

* * *

Several days had passed by since the three Hylians escaped from the scorching sands of the desert. For each of them, they spent the majority of time recovering in bed, though one of them was not content to lie around. Under most circumstances, Link loved being able to sleep later into the day. The idea of a warm bed and nourishing food had been quite appealing to him while he was prisoner. But such things were not on his mind now.

The room was eerily quiet as the swordsman sat next to his wife's bed, looking at her in sadness. After lots of bed rest, a steady regimen of bizarre medicines, and a diet consisting of actual food, she was beginning to show signs of recovering. She had stopped randomly slipping in and out of consciousness, and her pain had become manageable, though she was far from being one hundred percent.

Both Link and Talon had spent almost the entire day alongside her. In the brief moments that she was not asleep, they wanted to be there for her. Unfortunately, this was sporadic and normally brief, maybe for only a few minutes at a time. Queen Zelda, having recovered rather well, was quite busy with preparing the soldiers against anything that the Order of the Desert might throw at them. Of course, she stopped by to check on her friends whenever she could.

Talon turned to the Hero of Time next to him. "I have to thank you again, Link. I don't know where she'd be without your help."

A pang of guilt struck Link. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself otherwise, he felt responsible for her kidnapping in the first place. He tried to shove the guilt out of his mind, but it remained.

Even now, he wasn't prepared to leave her bedside. He feared that if he did, she might somehow be captured once more.

Link suddenly realized that he had not given a response to the rancher. "Y-you're welcome," he replied hastily.

The night was growing late and Talon could hardly keep his eyes open at this point. After looking after his daughter for so many hours, it was almost impossible for him to stay awake. He slowly accepted the fact that there wasn't anything else that he could do, especially if she was asleep.

"I... I have to get some rest," he said quietly. "Please excuse me." He sat up slowly, lightly hugged his daughter, and shuffled out of the room to an adjacent one, where he hoped to get some shut-eye.

Link had grown tired as well, even after several long sessions of rest since returning to the castle. His head hung low, and he released a sigh. He rubbed the back of her hand gently, not saying a word.

To his surprise, her eyes slowly opened once more. This time, there was a familiar look in them- life was returning to her. Several bandages had been wrapped around her body and there were more than a few medicine bottles sitting next to her bedside. She turned her head on her pillow towards her husband and smiled.

"Hey, Fairy Boy," she said quietly.

"Hey, Malon. How do you feel?"

She released a light cough before she spoke. "Better, I guess. "I'm still not really sure what happened. Everything's just a blur, you know?" Each of her movements were rather labored, and she spoke slowly as well.

"Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."

Her memories of the past few days were very fragmented, though she could vaguely recall escaping from the Order of the Desert, along with fleeting glimpses of the sands.

As long as she was awake, he decided it was as good a time as any to tell her what was on his mind. "I'm... I'm so sorry," he began. He continued to clasp her hand.

She eyed him curiously, not understanding what he was getting at. "What are you talking about?"

"None of this should have happened. I should have-"

Malon interrupted him, slowly raising her hand and placing it on his shoulder. "Link, don't. I can't thank you enough for saving me. You have no idea how much that means to me." Her voice was still quiet, but it now had a certain firmness to it.

Link lowered his head and held back tears. "That's just it... You never heard, did you?"

"Heard about what?"

"What I did while you were imprisoned."

Avalsen's vague taunt echoed in her mind, but she was still unsure of what it meant. "No, does it matter?"

Link raised his head and forced himself to maintain eye contact with her. "They... they had me steal from people... I broke a man out of prison. They said that they'd kill you if I didn't. They wanted me to kill Zelda too, but I couldn't."

Her expression did not change, but there was a clear layer of horror beneath it. She was speechless at the thought.

Link continued on. "Please, forgive me, Malon. I'm so sorry. I only did it to save you. Seeing you like that... it scared me more than anything."

She placed her cold hand on his cheek. "Oh, Link, I'm not upset with you. We both know that you had no choice. I know that couldn't have been easy for you." She sat up slowly in the bed, wincing in pain as she did so.

"I never want to do anything like that ever again," he added, becoming choked up.

"I know you won't," she replied quietly, placing a kiss on his cheek.

As tears began to stream down his face, he wrapped his arms around her. He had been waiting so long to embrace her, and it was a massive relief to finally do so. Neither of them wanted to let go of one another. She gently rubbed his back as they stayed locked in each other's arms- she could practically feel the pain in his body.

Link opened his eyes upon hearing Zelda's voice coming from the hallway. He wasn't sure what she was saying, but it was obvious that she wanted to see him.

"Hold on a moment," he said quietly, releasing his embrace and heading for the doorway. Malon slid back underneath the covers and rested her eyes.

Link stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him, joining Lera and Zelda. The queen offered a faint grin, relieved to see him up and about.

"How is she doing?" Zelda asked. "Any changes?"

"She was almost able to get out of bed a few hours ago," Link replied, stretching his arms a bit. "Her appetite has returned too. That's a good sign, I guess."

"That's great to hear. I was beginning to worry if she might not be recovering."

"If she's hungry, I'm sure there's something in the kitchen that'll hit the spot," Lera offered.

"Maybe in a few minutes," he added quietly, looking in the direction of the room. "I'm sure she'd love something."

Zelda didn't really want to bring up what was on her mind. Link had barely reunited with his wife properly, but they all knew that they would have to be separated once more.

"Link, you know what we have to do now."

He nodded slowly. "I have to face Avalsen. I have to stop them."

" _We_ have to stop them," she corrected him.

Link grinned a bit. "Of course." He had seen how much she had grown as a swordfighter firsthand, and he certainly wasn't going to turn down the assistance.

"I've assembled some soldiers to accompany us. We'll have plenty of supplies to make it across the desert and back. We want to leave tomorrow morning. Are you prepared for it?"

Link glanced back at his wife's room once more. "...Yes," he said quietly.

Zelda noticed the uncertainty in his voice. "I know you don't want to leave her, but I assure you, we'll double up our guard's presence. Nobody is going to hurt her."

Lera looked up at him and nodded her head. "And the doctors will be monitoring her well. I'll personally make sure of that."

"Thank you." He released a deep breath. "I'll be ready."

"Then we'll let you get your sleep. Goodnight, Link."

Link waved goodbye to them as they left down one of the hallways. Stepping back into the room, he was not excited to tell Malon where he would be going. He sat down next to her and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face.

"You're going back, aren't you?" she asked.

"Y-you heard all of that?"

"More or less," she replied with a grin. "Just be careful, Fairy Boy."

Link smiled a bit. "Don't worry about me, you just focus on getting your health back."

"I'll be waiting. I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. He pressed his lips to hers as she held his head in her hand. Pulling away, he slowly made his way towards the door. As he did, he thought of the countless times that he had to leave her to face some terrible evil. It only fatigued him more and more each time. After so long, it was something that he was no longer prepared to do.

Before he left to ready himself for tomorrow, he looked back and spoke one more time."I promise, I won't leave you like this ever again."


	14. Chapter 13

The hot air parched the Hylian's throat as he tried to block the merciless sun out of his eyes. With every step in the loose sand, Link could feel himself becoming more and more tense for the battle ahead. The desert itself was certainly not the worst of his problems, however.

Link hoped that this would be the last time he would ever have to draw blood. It had become far too common for him. For years he had accepted conflict as an unpleasant albeit necessary part of his life. But he had grown to hate everything about it- the agonizing cries of suffering men, the gruesome sight of a battlefield, the loss of close allies- Link wished never to experience any of it ever again.

Still, there was still a glimmer of hope in his heart, even as the air was heavy with dread as battle awaited him one final time.

He readjusted the collection of gear on his back as he reached the top of another dune. To his irritation, he was sweating quite profusely through his green tunic. He removed the Master Sword from its sheath and inspected it for what must have been the fourth time that day. There wasn't much else he could do to ready himself in the middle of a desert.

" _Sharper than any razor, even after all these years."_ He gripped the hilt tighter as he looked at it. The blade emanated a warm, subtle glow. The power of this weapon never failed to amaze him.

His mind wandered to every battle that he had faced. The years had done little to fade the memories, all of which he had hoped to forget. Staring at the sword, he wondered how many warriors had fallen to it.

 _"Too many to count."_

Lost in thought, he almost failed to notice Zelda as she reached the top of the dune and stood beside him. On the insistence of the soldiers, she sported a dazzling suit of armor that looked as though it was made of pure silver. It was not terribly bulky and did little to slow her down, though she still much preferred the more flexible attire of the Sheikah.

Link placed the Master Sword back in its scabbard. They stood in silence together, figuring that there was little to say at this point. Looking outward towards the far horizon, they could both see the faint silhouette of their destination. Zelda was not as accustomed to battle as Link was, though she was not about to let fear control her.

She examined her own blade- a somewhat ornate long sword that bore various Hylian symbols on the hilt. While it was certainly not as powerful as the Master Sword, it was a perfectly respectable weapon. This particular sword had been passed down in her family for generations, but it had not seen battle in many decades. As she slid it back into its sheath, she tried to recall as much as she could from her training sessions with Link and Impa.

They each took a generous drink of water from their bottles, giving them a small bit of relief from the constant heat. Together they slowly made their way down the large sandy hill, with a mass of soldiers following close behind.

* * *

After several more hours of marching through the unforgiving desert, the group had finally reached the Order of the Desert's building. It seemed so out of place to the soldiers- anything that was this remote was unnerving to them. Link and Zelda stood unfazed by its eerie presence, even as several of the less experienced soldiers stared at it uneasily.

The outside was strangely devoid of guards. The balconies and pathways that circled the building had nobody to patrol them. It almost looked as though it had been abandoned.

Link turned around to face the soldiers, who had filed into proper ranks. This was the Royal Guard- the absolute best of what Hyrule's military could offer. It seemed less like a group of people and more like a mass of armor and swords. Normally, they would wield spears for such a battle, but the tight corridors made that idea less desirable.

"They must have spotted us earlier," he murmured to Zelda, still on the lookout for their enemies.

Zelda nodded in agreement and paced about before the soldiers. "Men, I do not know how many of them will be waiting for us inside, but that should not matter. Just remember your training, and you'll be fine." There was not a hint of worry in her voice.

Link adjusted his gloves and spoke once more. "You all know the plan." He knelt down and began to draw a basic diagram of the complex in a patch of dirt with the tip of his sword.

"Half of you will follow the south corridor to these stairs. Once you're there, you will clear out the second story with me. We believe that most of their leaders will be waiting there. The rest of you will accompany Queen Zelda. Take the west passage and make your way to the main room here."

Zelda pointed to the large circular room as well. "The bulk of the fighting should be here. They may try to ambush you along the way, so don't allow yourselves to become separated in the halls."

"Above all, stay together, and don't worry," Link added with a confident grin. "We'll be backing you up the entire way."

"There's no way that they can stop us," Zelda added, drawing her blade from its sheath. "Are you ready to show them how Hylians fight?"

The Royal Guards released a loud battle cry. As the leading captain sounded off, the men charged straight into the building, brandishing their blades and shouting as loud as they could, hoping to strike fear into their enemies' hearts.

Link and Zelda looked to one another. For each of them, it was impossible not to remember how they stood together against Ganon. His last strike against that monster would never escape his memory. Their fight against Tason was also vivid in their minds. Their confidence in one another was stronger than ever.

Link removed the shield from his back as Zelda stretched her arms. "One last time," he said quietly to himself. "Just one more battle... Are you ready, Your Majesty?"

She gave him a smile and held her sword upwards as the golden symbol glowed on the back of her hand. "Of course I am. Good luck."

With no further delay, they sprinted into the dark complex. Already they could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal as the Royal Guard made contact with their foes. Nodding with one last glance at each other, they separated to join up with the soldiers under their leadership.

It took little time for Zelda to reach her allies in one of the wide halls. Their ranks had been broken by the Order of the Desert, and they had started to fight independently of one another. Looking around at the skirmish before her, she focused on some foes that had spotted her.

With loud shouts, they dashed towards her with little regard for the soldiers around them. Even if they were to lose, they were not about to let the Queen of Hyrule survive.

Zelda didn't flinch, instead running to face them directly. Bounding over a fallen enemy, she leaped into the air and delivered a kick straight into one of the guard's stomachs. The man recoiled backwards and fell to the ground from the force of the impact. The other guard ignored this and attempted an overhand strike against Zelda as she recovered from her maneuver.

The queen saw it coming easily, however. She sidestepped with minimal effort and blocked his follow-up strike, much to his anger. As their blades locked together, he released one of his hands from his blade and tried to surprise her with an uppercut. To his surprise, she caught his punch and twisted his arm in place, causing him to yell out in pain.

As he fell to one knee, Zelda freed her sword and stabbed him with her blade, giving him a quick passing. Link's lessons flowed through her mind- every movement was just as she had practiced so many times before.

The other guard recovered from having the wind knocked out of him and lunged at Zelda. Unfazed by this reckless move, she stepped to the side and swiftly drove the pommel of her sword into the back of his head. He fell into a heap on the floor, no longer moving.

She looked around as the Royal Guard continued to grapple with their enemies. Flourishing her blade, she waded into the fight to assist them. _"Two down... and plenty more to go."  
_

* * *

Link and the other soldiers had clashed sporadically with Avalsen's men as they proceeded up the stairs and through the maze of hallways. Over and over the scattered enemies tried to rush at Link, but he cut each of them down with little effort. Their uncontrollable anger at Link had caused them to forego whatever training they had- rather than think strategically, they fought like crazed animals.

As the Hero of Time led the march through the building, he could distinctly hear Avalsen's taunts echo through the halls.

"You think your wife is safe in Hyrule? Were you really so foolish as to leave her side?"

Link scowled at each sound but refused to be drawn away from the rest of the group. They wanted to separate him, where they could hope to overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

"You remember those long nights... the feeling of helplessness..." his voice called out with a laugh. "Consumed with fear. You will never escape that as long as you draw breath."

Link could not tell from which direction the sound was coming. Distracted for just a moment, a guard jumped from the shadows and struck at him. Link caught his attack with his sword, though he moved a bit slower than he would have liked. Before the man could follow up with another move, a soldier tackled him to the floor and disposed of him.

Link silently nodded to the soldier and they moved on, hoping to find the source of the yelling. Gradually, more of Avalsen's guards had engaged with Link's forces, prompting several of them to stay back and hold them off as Link pressed forward. He could not afford to waste time and give Avalsen the chance to escape.

"I can see it in your eyes, Link. You want so desperately to run back to her now- to abandon these men and your queen. You would sacrifice victory just for her. She will hold you back... and you know this."

Link clenched his fists and refused to respond to his words. His pace quickened as he drew closer and closer to the noise. The hallways had become gradually more ornate, with various banners and decorations now lining the ceilings and walls. Most of it reminded him of Hyrule Castle, when Ganondorf still controlled it.

The Royal Guard had slowly divided itself to handle Avalsen's scattered men, leaving Link with only a handful of soldiers to accompany him further. Before he realized it, he stood in the large room once again. Peering over the balcony to the floor below them, he could see several soldiers furiously battling against the guards. He could not tell who had the upper hand at the moment, and he not could he see the queen among them.

"You've finally arrived," a voice called out. "I hope my men have shown you the respect you deserve."

Link glared up at Avalsen, standing alone on the other side of the circular balcony. A large gap separated them. Without offering a reply, Link removed his bow from his back, loaded an arrow, and fired it towards the evil man with perfect placement.

Without flinching, Avalsen deflected it with a swift flurry of his own sword. He grinned widely at Link's failed attempt, and did not bother to watch as the Royal Guards rushed towards him.

Unimpressed by his ability, Link notched another arrow and released it, doing so several more times in rapid succession. His shot placement was excellent, even across the large distance. As before, Avalsen was able to dodge or block each of them as they harmlessly struck the wall behind him or fell at his feet.

As the guards lunged at him, he blocked each of their strikes and slashed at them with remarkable speed, his dark cloak dancing around as he did so. They each fell to his blade, unable to land a single attack on him. Still grinning, he looked at one of the fallen men before he turned his attention back to Link.

"Too afraid to face me yourself? Must you send your lackeys to do your work for you?"

Link knew full well that Avalsen simply wanted him to be goaded into a foolish attack. At the same time, he strongly doubted that any Hylian soldier could best him in a fight. He looked to the guards who still stood at his side.

"Everyone, head downstairs and assist Queen Zelda and the others. I will handle this myself."

Acknowledging his command, the soldiers left him alone. Glancing below, he was encouraged to see that Zelda had joined the fight, and that she was holding her own quite well.

Link placed his bow back where it belonged and readied his sword and shield. He assessed his opponent as they slowly circled the balcony towards one another. He scanned the man's armor, looking for any exposed spot, but failed to see any immediate weak points. He noted his stance as well, and observed closely for any hesitation or body language that might betray his strategy.

 _"A confident stance. He thinks he can match me."_

As they drew closer, Avalsen began to taunt him once again. There was more contempt in his voice than ever before. "You should know something, Link. Your wife begged us for food and water. After a few days, she said she would kill you herself for a scrap of bread. I have to say, we were all quite surprised."

"A filthy lie," Link responded calmly. "You expect me to believe that? Your words are as dull as your blade."

Avalsen gave a quiet chuckle and quickened his walk towards Link, readying his sword. "If I told you that we had spies watching her at this very moment, would you believe it?"

Link's expression twitched involuntarily. The thought had occurred to him, but he had confidence in the guards that he had hand-picked to watch her. He chose to give no response this time to an obvious bluff. Instead, he attempted to calm his nerves and ignore his pounding heart beat.

"Once we are finished here," he began, "we will ensure that your wife is disposed of as well. You will not be there to protect her. Let that thought eat away at your mind as you fall to my blade."

With a loud yell, Link jumped at him and released a flurry of strikes. He had waited so long to unleash his sword against his foul man. Without removing the sick grin from his face, Avalsen blocked and evaded each shot.

Link pressed his attack with more ferocity than he ever remembered possessing. This was unlike the vast majority of fights that he had been in- this was revenge. His mind focused so tightly on the man before him that he could scarcely think of anything or anyone else. Other battles had brought him sadness- but he wanted to see this man fall before him.

Avalsen retaliated with several attacks of his own. The speed at which he moved far exceeded any of the guards that had challenged him earlier. It was not a struggle to block each strike, but he knew that a single misstep would cost him dearly.

The enemy struck at him, trying to slice at his lower legs. Jumping awkwardly over the swing, Link brought the edge of his shield down on top of the man's head. He stumbled backwards and cradled his head, but continued to laugh at Link's efforts.

"I think you're already getting tired, Link!" his foe remarked, catching his next attack with the guard of his sword. "Your entire body is shaking... your attacks are already so reckless!"

Unfortunately, he was correct. Link could feel himself becoming fatigued after his journey across the desert and fending off so many guards. Link disregarded his words and pushed his attack as hard as he could.

Avalsen backpedaled from Link's pursuit but did not lose his composure or footing. Capitalizing on Link's rage, Avalsen feigned an attack, which Link fell for. He readied his shield below his waist, allowing his opponent to slash him across his torso. Link reeled backwards in pain, placing his hand to his wound. Already it was bleeding straight through his tunic and onto his gloved hand.

Looking back up at his enemy, he scowled and ignored the pain that was now coursing through his body.

"You're already dying, Link. What would Malon say if she saw you like this? Perhaps she would regret marrying such a weak individual."

The Hero of Time lunged at him once more with another series of strikes. As time pressed on, his movements became less calculated and more reckless. He was no longer aiming for any particular point on his enemy's body, he simply wanted to bash through his defenses with raw power. He cared little if it was working- he felt the need to unleash such rage against someone that had tried to destroy so much of what he loved.

 _"Just keep attacking. Don't let him ever retaliate, not even for a second."_

For his part, Avalsen was also becoming exhausted. His movements lacked the same fluidity that he had shown earlier, and his blocks were not as sturdy as before. Sweat began to drip from his brow as he subsequently attacked and defended against Link. His labored breathing was not lost on Link.

"I think... you're getting winded," Link said with a smirk.

"And you're not?" he replied with a flash of anger in his tone.

Their blades clashed together as Link stared straight into his eyes. "I just marched through a desert and took out half of your army! What's your excuse?"

Avalsen released an irritated noise and stepped backwards before unleashing a massive swing at Link. Caught off guard by the raw power behind this strike, Link was barely able to raise his sword in time to block it. To his horror, the sheer force of Avalsen's attack had knocked the blade out of his hand and sent it over the railing. It landed on the stone floor with a loud clash.

The leader pointed his sword straight at Link and marched towards him with a furious look in his eye. He was not used to spending so much energy at one time, and certainly not to fight just one man.

The approaching enemy was far too close for him to draw his bow. With few other options available, Link clenched his fists and raised them in preparation for a brawl. Hand-to-hand combat was never his forte, but it was all he had now, other than his shield.

"I will not let you enjoy a quick death," Avalsen spat.

Link stopped moving backwards and instead charged towards him, leading with his shield. Unable to swing his long sword at such close range, Avalsen braced himself and absorbed Link's tackle, shoving him off to the side. As Link spun about to face his opponent, Avalsen swung overhand at Link, trying to seize the opportunity.

Link deflected the blow with his shield and used his free hand to deliver a punch straight into Avalsen's face. Link smiled a bit, enjoying that feeling in particular.

The man stumbled backwards with a pained grunt, but not before Link pressed his attack further. This time, he led in with a series of kicks but failed to land a blow, with his form becoming worse as the fight dragged on. Avalsen retaliated with more sword strikes, but his attacks had become just as reckless as Link's. In his fatigue, his ability to guard with his shield was become less sturdy with each successive blow.

Suddenly, he heard something from behind him, prompting him to turn around. To his shock, a familiar face had joined them on the balcony. "Zelda!" he shouted, relieved to see her still drawing breath.

She was clearly quite tired as well, but she didn't appear as though she was in danger of slowing down. "Thought you might need some help!" she called out.

A look of mild panic and irritation appeared on Avalsen's face as he backed away from the two of them. He was pretty evenly matched with Link, but even he lacked the confidence to take on two bearers of the Triforce at once.

"Holding up alright?" Link asked, still focused on his opponent.

"I could ask the same of you, General," Zelda replied with a smile.

"Guards! Rally to me!" Avalsen yelled. Within moments, more of his men appeared behind them from a staircase. Zelda looked backwards with a frustrated look.

"If I hold them off, can you take him down?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied under his breath. "He's getting exhausted."

Before she could turn around to hold them off, Link stopped her. "Wait, take this. You'll need it more than I do." He slipped the Hylian Shield off of his arm, and handed it to her.

"But Link-"

"You're going to be outnumbered. Trust me, I can handle this monster."

With a brief hesitation, Zelda nodded at him and slipped the shield onto her arm. Without waiting anymore, she charged back at the guards to keep them focused on her.

Link now stood before Avalsen with neither sword nor shield. Pacing about, he stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles before placing himself into a fighting stance. His opponent was almost incredulous that he would give up his only defense so readily. He shrugged and launched himself at Link once more with a loud shout.

Link ignored the soreness in his legs and dodged each strike as best as he could. A few times, the blade had come dangerously close to him, but he counted on Avalsen's growing aggression to get the better of him.

Just then, Avalsen released an overhand attack but missed Link once again, instead lodging his blade in the wooden railing around the pit. Seizing the opportunity, Link grabbed his collar and unloaded several furious punches into his face. Only after several blows was he able to recover and catch Link's jabs.

"Not bad, Link. But we both know that you can't continue with this."

He dislodged his sword from the railing and pressed his attacks once again. To Link's astonishment, it seemed like Avalsen had not slowed down at all after Link's barrage of punches.

At the speed he moved, Link found it hard to see openings for counterattacks, instead spending the majority of his time avoiding the reach of his sword strikes. He backed away cautiously and threw punches only when he was absolutely sure that he could. With every successful attack, he felt the pain in his hands grow worse and worse.

Avalsen wiped away the blood that had poured from his nose and mouth. With a rage-fueled yell, he swung at Link's side. The hero's eyes widened- he didn't have enough time or space to evade this attack. In desperation, he stepped into it to stop its momentum and caught it with his hands before it could strike any of his vital organs.

Link cried out in excruciating pain as the blade cut through his gloves and dug into his palms. Looking down at his hands, he could already see blood pouring from them. Returning his glare to the man in front of him, he saw that his face was full of shock- he had never seen anyone try something like that.

As he tried to mentally block out the pain, Link grinned at Avalsen, hoping to unnerve him. "What's wrong? You were so talkative earlier! Is that fear in your eyes?"

Avalsen gave no response but tried to pull his sword away, causing it to slice away at Link's forearms. Instead of releasing it, Link braced it against his side with one hand and used his free hand to launch a furious uppercut into Avalsen's chin. Disoriented by the blow, he dropped his sword, allowing Link to fully unleash his punches on him. Recovering after a few seconds, Avalsen resumed his attack but was forced to meet Link's punches with his own.

They grappled back and forth, each of them breathing heavily. Each successful punch broke Link's knuckles open and sent shockwaves of unimaginable pain through his wounded hands. He found it almost impossible to grab a hold of the man with his hands covered in blood. He could feel himself burning through what little energy and adrenaline he had left.

 _"Can't... can't stop..."_

As they struggled about, exchanging desperate kicks and jabs at one another, Link tackled his opponent into the railing with a massive impact, breaking it apart. Before the man could fall backwards to the lower level, Link instinctively grabbed at him and barely grasped a thin, torn piece of his collar.

Avalsen released an incredulous laugh with no regard for his own situation. "Hahaha! You can't even bring yourself to kill me!"

Link stared at him- even this close to his own death, there was not a shred of regret or shame in his eyes. Part of him was ready to release his grip and just let him fall. This vile man had caused so much misery and chaos- it would suit him just fine. Yet, Avalsen was helpless now- another part of him demanded that he simply throw the evil man in prison to wallow away for the rest of his miserable life.

"What are you waiting for, Link?" he asked with a grin. "Help me back to my feet like the naive hero that you are!"

The strain was becoming too much on Link's arm. With his free hand and his feet, his braced himself against the broken rails before he fell over with him. His mind raced as he arm trembled- he would have to decide quickly.

 _"I have to-"_

Before he realized it, the cloth had slipped in his grip. To the leader's horror, there was nothing to catch him as he fell backwards. Link averted his look as Avalsen fell to his death.

Link moved backwards slowly, finally able to catch his breath. He couldn't bring himself to look at the wounds on his hands or across his torso, instead pressing himself against a wall as he tried to regain himself. He wasn't sure if he had anything left in his system.

With a final attack, Zelda had brought down what remained of her assailants. With sweat pouring from her forehead, she slowly turned around and walked over to Link, placing her hand on the wall to keep herself upright.

She was unimaginably relieved to see Link survive, and she could barely form the words. "Oh... thank goodness. You're... you're okay."

Link slowly came to his feet and gave his friend a hug. "Thank you, Zelda. I couldn't have done this without you here." She returned his hug before they walked to the balcony.

She looked down at his hands and arms in horror- they had been cut so deeply, and she had no idea how he was not shouting in pain. "Link! What did... how...?" she trailed off.

Link ripped a few thick pieces of cloth from his tunic and wrapped up his hands. "I've been hurt worse before," he said, wincing as he tied up the cloths. "Nothing some medicine can't fix."

"You're sure?" she asked, worry still persisting on her face.

"Absolutely." They both looked over the balcony to observe what was left of the battle on the lower floor.

"We've lost many good men today..." she said quietly, resting against the railing. The Royal Guard was clearly routing what was left of the Order of the Desert. By Link's estimate, the remaining enemies would all be captured or disposed of within a few minutes. Any stragglers in the halls would not be able to put up much of a fight.

Link nodded his head slowly. "We won't forget them. They fulfilled their duty to their last breaths."

"It's just hard to believe it's all over," Zelda added. "Is this... is this what war really feels like?" It was not the first time that she had ever been in a battle, though it was easily the largest one she had ever been a part of.

"Yeah. It doesn't get easier," Link replied quietly. "I've done this too many times before."

Zelda became quiet for a few moments, looking on as the Royal Guard took care of what was left of the battle. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this sort of thing... not that I would want to. But if this is what has to be done to protect Hyrule... then I guess I'm ready for it."

Link gave a faint grin and patted her on the back. "There's no guessing here. I _know_ you're ready, Your Majesty."

Zelda offered a smile of her own. Even in her exhaustion, she looked stronger than ever. She handed Link his shield as they headed downstairs to collect his Master Sword. Their movements were awkward, given their injuries.

"Thank you, Link. But, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"When I saw you fighting him... you looked like you hesitated."

Link nodded his head as they began to move down the staircase. "Yeah, I suppose I did. He just slipped out of my grip."

"I know how much he tried to destroy you and Malon. If he hadn't slipped, were you... were you going to spare him? You can tell me."

Link thought about it for a moment, his expression not changing in the slightest. Zelda wasn't sure what reply she would receive, but she was not about to judge him either way. Link looked her briefly in the eyes, but gave no answer at all.


	15. Epilogue

_Two months later..._

The cries of battle had long faded. The wounds were scarring over. Before the sun had fully crested above the horizon, the streets of Hyrule were already seeing the first signs of activity for the day. The castle stood mostly quiet as the workers went about their routines. The faint smell of delectable food drifted from the kitchen as scattered voices could be heard throughout the hallways. The queen and the Hero of Time had returned, along with a sense of normality.

In a small room, tucked far away from most of the activity, a man clad in green stood in silence, staring out of a tall window. From so high up in the castle, the view before him was vast, stretching far to the north. The rolling green fields seemed endless before him, the tall grass swaying in the gentle wind. The dawning sun's multicolored glow on the passing clouds was truly a sight to behold.

It was one corner of Hyrule that he had seldom ventured, and he could only wonder what lied beyond his sight. Perhaps there were cities that he had never heard of, or maybe there was nothing to see but an endless expanse of wilderness beyond the northern borders of Hyrule. However, the unknown did not worry him. More than anything, it filled him with hope.

His wife stirred in the bed next to him, rubbing her eyelids. Link broke his attention from his daydreaming and observed as she slowly rose out of the bed. The fact that she had been able to do so with no assistance was a major sign of progress.

"G'morning. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, I think I may have slept in a bit too much, actually," she said. She walked over to him with a mild gait before they exchanged a kiss.

Her recovery had gone about as well as they could have hoped, even if she wasn't one hundred percent yet. She was able to do most everything she had done months ago, and most physical activities did not slow her down. However, more demanding farm work was certainly out of the question for the time being, much to her frustration. Though she loved to spend time with Zelda and the others, the castle just didn't feel like home for a farm girl like her.

She looked out of the same window. She imagined walking in the pristine meadows alongside him with the wind in their faces, far removed from the conflict and misery that she had experienced weeks ago. Neither of them had a care in the world.

 _"Someday."_

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Wonderfully. Hard not to sleep well in a place like this." The luxurious bed was easily the most comfortable one she had ever rested in. A brief silence filled the air.

"When should we tell them?" Link asked quietly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I don't suppose they'll be happy to hear about this."

"The sooner, the better," Malon replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

"And your father is still okay with this?"

"Well, it won't be easy for either of us," she said, her shoulders sagging a little. "But I think he's slowly comin' to understand." She had told him of their decision several weeks ago, much to his shock.

Link looked at her directly, her blue eyes calming him. "And you're sure this is what you want?" He had already asked her dozens of times before.

Without a moment of hesitation she nodded her head emphatically. "More than anything." There was no doubt in her voice. "It's what has to be done. It'll take some gettin' used to, but I think we're ready."

A faint knock came from the door, interrupting their quiet exchange. Link slowly made his way to the door and suppressed a yawn before opening it. Before him stood a familiar young girl, clothed in a light blue dress that was highlighted in gold.

"Good morning, Link," she said with a cheerful look.

"Morning, Lera," he replied.

"Breakfast is almost ready in the dining hall. Will you be joining us?"

Link and Malon's faces both lit up at the mention of food. "You bet we will," the farm girl answered, joining her husband at the door. The castle always served the best food, and her appetite had returned significantly since her recovery.

Despite Lera's apparent happiness, Link noticed a hint of concern on her face. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"Yes..." she replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "Queen Zelda wanted to speak with you, if it's not too much trouble. Both of you, really. It's very important to her."

Link and Malon exchanged a look. They all could easily guess what she wanted to say, and they knew that it would be as good a time as any to tell them what they intended to do. They felt worse for every day that passed without them informing her.

"Not at all," Link replied.

Malon left the room, clasping her husband's hand. "After you, Miss Lera."

As they walked through the cold halls, Lera said very little. While she was a soft-spoken young lady most of the time, her silence now stemmed from something other than shyness. She had little reason to be so reserved around her two friends like this. But she knew what was about to happen, and for that, she was quite nervous.

Lera felt obligated to say something after several uncomfortable minutes of walking and saying almost nothing, but she couldn't form the words. Rather than speak ahead of Zelda, she decided to wait. Link and Malon did not demand an explanation or express any confusion.

Within minutes, the royal adviser had led them into a large art gallery. Exquisite paintings lined the walls, many of them several hundred years old. It was astonishing that so many of them had survived Tason's coup, as many of them had been damaged or stolen around that time. Through the massive windows, the clear morning rays of sunlight poured into the room, casting a gentle glow across the room.

At one of the windows stood Zelda herself, looking outward across the same landscape that Link had observed earlier. However, she was less focused on that, and more preoccupied with what she would say.

Lera walked up to her and began to whisper. "Queen Zelda, Link and Malon are here. Is there anything else you need of me?"

She turned to the young girl with a faint look of sadness on her face. "No, thank you. You may stay here if you wish."

Lera nodded and followed the queen as she approached her friends. A heavy silence filled the air between them as Link and Malon bowed to her. Malon was still deeply humbled by Zelda's actions in helping to save her.

"I've wanted to say something for a while now," Zelda began. "I should have done again this days ago, and for that I apologize."

"No need, Your Majesty," Link replied, patting her on the shoulder. "We've been rather nervous about this as well."

Lera's voice was a bit unsteady. "I don't know how many times it's been said, Link... but you've done so much for Hyrule. For that, we really cannot thank you enough."

"No single person should have to carry so much weight for so long. It can't be healthy," Zelda added. "So, my offer still stands, Link. You are free to leave your duties behind. Permanently, if you wish."

Before Link could respond, Lera spoke once more. "You'll never have to draw your sword again, Link. Rest assured, Hyrule will be well-defended."

Link released a quiet, unsteady breath as he looked at Zelda. "I know it will be. I have no doubt of that." He had seen Zelda grow so much, not just in the past few months, but since their childhood as well. "There's nothing left for me to teach you, Queen Zelda. You've become quite a warrior yourself."

Zelda's face turned a bit red at his words. Lera and Malon nodded in agreement.

He became quiet once more, Malon gripping his hand a bit tighter. "I accept your offer, Your Majesty. I'm ready to move on." He looked to his wife and grinned. " _We_ are ready to move on."

Everyone in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Malon could barely contain her happiness, already seeing a wave of peace wash over him. The constant weary look on his face was no longer there- he seemed truly happy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, holding back a tear.

"There's... there's something else," Link added. He had thought for a long time about how he would phrase this. On several nights, he had stayed up quite late, rehearsing what he might say. Now, he couldn't find the right words.

Malon could see his hesitancy and decided to speak on his behalf. "For a while, all we've wanted is to live a quiet and simple life together. We want to live just as everyone else in Hyrule has. No war. No bloodshed. We're actually thinking about starting a family," she added with a grin.

"Leaving my military duties behind is a good start," Link said. "We'll be able to spend far more time together. She won't have to fear for my safety everyday... or see me return home covered head to toe in wounds."

Malon continued on, though her cheerful expression had faded a bit. "But the problem is... we... we don't know that..." She struggled to find the right words just as her husband had.

Link went on. "We don't believe that's possible here." Zelda and Lera both looked at him with deep sadness, though they were not really surprised.

"Hyrule has been wonderful to us," he continued. "But I don't think that we can enjoy a regular life here. In all my travels, I've never seen one place so afflicted by evil. The chaos never seems to end. And..." he trailed off, looking to his wife once more. "We think it would be best if we left."

"This was not an easy decision," Malon said, sadness also crossing her face. "I hope you both understand."

Zelda said nothing at first, instead holding back her own tears. After some time, she closed her eyes and nodded her head. "It will be tough to lose the both of you... but I understand."

Lera struggled to keep her composure as well. "If that's what you think is best, then we're behind you every step of the way."

"Thank you both," Malon replied, tears welling up in her eyes. "For everything."

With no further words, they gathered around and embraced one another. As far as they were all concerned, they were parting ways with family.

* * *

 _Several weeks later..._

The windy plains of northern Hyrule stretched out before the small group. The morning dew was still fresh on the tall grass as they marched out towards nowhere in particular. Nobody said much, most of them struggling to accept what was about to happen.

Link and Malon led the group, both of them carrying large packs on their backs. Epona proceeded alongside them, carrying the bulk of their most important and necessary belongings. For the first time in a while, Link had chosen not to wear his familiar green tunic and hat, instead opting for simple attire that didn't remind him of the past. As usual, Malon had chosen her favorite outfit- a white shirt, a neckerchief, and a long skirt.

Behind them, Zelda, Lera, Talon, Navi, and the Sages followed as well. Some of them had come to grips with all of this, but others were still in disbelief.

After several minutes of walking, they came to a rather arbitrary spot in the meadows next to a large, lone tree. There would be no ceremonies or fanfare for their departure. Castle Town and most of the other citizens of Hyrule were far off, unaware of what was occurring. This is exactly how they wanted it, with only their closest of friends by their side. The air was filled with a certain tension, but everyone was calm.

Malon and Link both turned around to face the others. Link looked to the sky that seemed to stretch on forever.

"I guess... this is it," Link finally stated, slowly looking each of them in the eyes. Part of him could not bare to leave them, but he had already made up his mind.

"We won't forget any of you," Malon added with a tear in her eye. She focused especially on her father, who was barely able to contain his emotions. "I-I'm gonna miss you a lot, dad."

"You... you have your mother's strength," he said, wearing a smile that barely masked his sorrow. He walked up slowly and hugged her, picking her up off of her feet. "The ranch won't be the same without you. I love you so much. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too, dad," she said, returning his hug as tears rolled down her face. "I know you'll take good care of the farm."

He was afraid to do so, but he finally set her down. "Whatever path you find in life, I know it'll be the right one." Link and Malon nodded at his words.

Lera stepped forward alongside Zelda, both of them just as quiet as anyone else. Lera chose to speak first. "So... where do you think you'll go?" she asked. "Are you ever coming back?"

Malon and Link exchanged a look and smiled a bit. They had asked themselves the same question countless times already. "Actually, we don't really know," the farm girl began. "Maybe we'll settle down someplace. Or we may just wander the world for the rest of our lives. We'll see what happens."

"It doesn't really matter where we go, as long as we're together and safe," Link added, wrapping his arm around Malon's shoulder. He wondered what it would be like to go to a corner of the world where nobody had never heard of him or his deeds.

Zelda approached them and looked them in the eyes. "We'll always be here if you ever decide to return."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Link said.

"No... we should thank you, Link," she replied. "We can't repay you for your deeds. It doesn't matter if you did a few things that you're not proud of. You will be remembered as a hero."

She also turned to the farm girl, who had become a dear friend of hers as well. "And what you've done... your endurance is remarkable, Malon. You survived the wilderness and some of the worst conditions that I've ever seen. Whatever awaits you, I know that you'll both be just fine."

With that, the Sages all stepped forward and gathered around them, each offering their profound gratitude and farewells. There was barely a dry eye to be seen.

"We'll miss you terribly," Saria said, looking up to her friend with a faint smile. "The entire forest will."

"She's right," Navi added, obviously consumed with emotion. "You know, I still remember all of our adventures together. Wouldn't trade them for the world."

Darunia held back the urge to embrace them with a mighty hug. "You both have the kind of strength that would make any Goron jealous. Brothers always, Link."

The young Zora princess was oddly quiet for a second. "You've grown so much, Link. I know that you'll both be quite happy together."

"I'm not normally one for teary goodbyes..." Nabooru stated. "But I'll make an exception this time."

Impa looked at Zelda, easily remembering back to when she was only a child. It was amazing how much she had grown- she had learned a lot, both from Link and the sage. "Thank you for everything, Link. I know that the two of you and Zelda will all go on to do great things."

Gathering in a close circle, they stood quiet for some time, not saying anything- just remembering. They had been together for so many years, and it was about to come to an end. They were overwhelmed with emotion, wondering what life would be like without one another.

After a short while, they drew apart from one another and watched as Link slowly proceeded to Epona. They weren't entirely sure what he was about to do, until he produced two objects from one of her saddlebags.

In one hand, he held a very familiar object, one that they all recognized easily. He held it tightly for a moment, recalling every last battle he had survived with it. The Master Sword radiated unfathomable power through him as he did so.

"There's one last thing," he stated quietly as he approached Zelda. "These belong to you."

He knelt down before her and presented the sword to her, along with the Ocarina of Time, lowering his head in respect. She looked at them briefly before she placed her hand on the sword's hilt. She too could feel a remarkable power course through her body. It was warm to the touch and filled her with an energy that she had never felt before. She took it from his hands and held it close to her chest. The queen held back a tear, knowing what it meant to Link.

Link remained knelt and looked up to her. "Malon and I both owe you so much for helping us, Queen Zelda. I know that you are more than prepared for this. Hyrule will be safe in the hands of its new protector."

Malon, Lera, and the others all joined Link in kneeling before Hyrule's new champion. Zelda wiped away tears that had streamed down her face. She was ready for this, but she found the feeling overwhelming all the same. After fastening the sword to her back and placing the ocarina in her pocket, she held out her hand for Link and helped him to his feet.

"I can think of no one better to protect this land," Link added. The others all gave their approval, not one of them having any reservations.

"Thank you, Link. I vow to defend this land with my life. Don't ever fear for us." Link clasped her hand and looked into her eyes. The markings on the back of their hands glowed brightly as they did so.

Malon placed her hand on the queen's shoulder. "And you won't be alone. You'll always have Lera and the Sages by your side, no matter what."

Lera stood next to her and looked up at their new champion with a wide grin. "She's right. Don't ever doubt yourself, Your Majesty."

Zelda nodded her head before she embraced them all as tightly as she could, Talon joining in as well. "Goodbye," she whispered to them. "We'll think of you every day."

Link and Malon returned her hug as well before they parted and gazed over the northern horizon. Malon joined hands with her husband and looked to her father and friends. For the first time in many years, they both truly felt at peace, their worries and fears slipping away. With their final farewells, they looked to one another, more in love with one another than they had ever been before.

With one more wave, the couple departed with their horse. They looked back only momentarily but never stopped as they made their way through the meadows, hand in hand. They were thrilled to spend the rest of their lives together, even if nobody could imagine what awaited. As Zelda, Lera, Talon, Navi, and the Sages waved tearful goodbyes to the departing Hylians, the last thing they could hear was Malon's beautiful song on the wind.

The end.

* * *

 **Afterword:**

 **And that concludes the series. It's been a really fun experience, and I thank each and every single one of you who have been reading. Also, I want to say one other thing. If you liked my story, then I believe that you'll enjoy these other ones too, all of which are based on _The Legend of Zelda._**

 ** _Prophecy of Ages_ and _Sands of Time_ by The New Duke**  
 ** _Memento_ by leavenodoubt**

 **All of these (and others) inspired me to start writing fanfiction in the first place. If you haven't already done so, I strongly recommend that you check out their work. It's all great.**

 **Once again, thank you so much for reading and for all of your feedback. Have a great day, and God bless.**


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